Global crude steel output was flat on-year in June at 158.8 million tonnes, with most regions seeing growth except for Europe and South America, Kallanish notes from worldsteel data. Production was down 1% versus May.

Chinese steel output inched up 0.4% on-year to 91.11mt, while Indian production surged 13% to 11.2mt. However, Japanese and South Korean output fell 1.7% and 0.9% respectively to 7.33mt and 5.53mt.

Compared to May, Chinese output rose 1%, while Indian output declined 1%.

EU27 output dropped 11% on-year to 10.6mt in June, driven by an 8.4% drop in German production to 2.93mt. Italian output actually rose 0.7% to 1.91mt. However, Spanish output fell 7% to 940,000t and French output was estimated down 33% to 775,000t.

EU output also fell 7% versus May.

Turkish production fell 1.5% on-year in June to 2.94mt, but rose from 2.88mt in May.

US production inched up 0.5% on-year to 6.8mt, but Brazilian output slumped 12.5% to 2.6mt.

Russian output is estimated to have risen 3.8% to 5.8mt in June.

Crude steel output in the 63 countries monitored by worldsteel thus fell 1.1% on-year in the first half of 2023 to 943.9mt, despite Chinese output rising 1.3% to 535.6mt.