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Crude steel production for the 65 countries reporting to Worldsteel was 135 million tonnes in August 2014, an increase of 1.4% compared with the 133 million tonnes recorded in the corresponding month last year.
Crude steel output in China was 68.9 million tonnes in August, an increase of 1.0% year-on-year.
Other countries in Asia showed a more vigorous increase, with South Korea taking the lead with 5.3 million tonnes, up by 8.0% year-on-year.
At the same time, Europe’s performance was not strong, with overall crude steel output of just 12 million tonnes, an increase of just 0.4% compared with August 2013.
Within the European Union, notable figures were reported from France, whose crude steel production fell by 9.1% year-on-year, and Germany, with a moderate decline in production, down by 1.0% from August 2013.
Outside the European Union, Turkey and Russia performed well, with increases in crude steel production of 13.9% and 5.8%, respectively.
The most significant change was in Ukraine, whose crude steel production plummeted by 37% because of supply and logistical problems related to the fighting in the eastern part of the country.
In the Americas, the USA produced 7.7 million tonnes of crude steel in August 2014, 2.9% more than in the same month a year earlier, while production in Brazil declined by 1.4%.
Worldsteel’s estimated global utilisation rate was 74.2%, 1.4% lower than in August 2013.