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World crude steel production totaled 154.6 million tons in July, a 5.8 percent increase over the year-ago month, reports the Brussels-based World Steel Association. 

In July, the capacity utilization rate for the 64 countries reporting to WSA was 77.5 percent, a 3.8 percent point increase compared with the same month in 2017. The rate was down 1.4 percentage points from June.

U.S. production was up 4.5 percent in July to 7.3 million tons. For the year to date, production was up 3.6 percent to 49.3 million tons. Canadian production declined 9.3 percent in July to 1 million tons and is down 3.3 percent year to date to 7.5 million tons. Mexico’s production increased 3 percent in July to 1.8 million tons and is up 3.6 percent year to date to 12.2 million tons.

China’s crude steel production for July was 81.2 million tons, an increase of 7.2 percent from the year-ago month. Japan’s steel production of 8.4 million tons was down 2 percent, while production in India increased 8 percent for the month to 9 million tons.

In the EU, Italy produced 2.2 million tons of steel, a 3.3 percent increase from July 2017. France’s production declined 3.8 percent to 1.3 million tons. 

Turkey’s crude steel production for July was 3.3 million tons, a decrease of 2.3 percent. Ukrainian production increased 11.4 percent to 1.8 million tons.