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World crude steel production totaled 141.4 million tons in September, a year-over-year increase of 5.6 percent, reports the World Steel Association, Brussels. Total production through the first nine months of 2017 is also up 5.6 percent at 1.3 billion tons, compared with 1.2 billion tons through September 2016.

The crude steel capacity utilization rate of the 66 countries reporting to WSA was 73.5 percent in September, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the same time last year. Capacity utilization is up 0.6 percentage points month over month.

In September, the U.S. produced 6.7 million tons of crude steel, up 8.6 percent from last year. Year-to-date production is up 3.1 percent at 61.4 million tons.

Canada produced 1.0 million tons in September, an increase of 1.0 percent over last year. Through September, total production is up 1.3 percent in Canada at 9.8 million tons. Mexico’s production in September decreased 0.4 percent to 1.6 million tons, while full-year production of 15.0 million tons is up 7.5 percent over the first nine months of 2016.

China’s crude steel production in September increased 5.3 percent to 71.8 million tons, Japan’s production increased 2.0 percent to 8.6 million tons and India’s production increased 1.9 percent to 8.2 million tons.

In the European Union, Germany produced an estimated 3.5 million tons of crude steel during the month, a year-over-year increase of 8.1 percent; Italy produced 2.2 million tons, up 8.3 percent; France produced 1.3 million tons, up 3.2 percent; and Spain produced 1.3 million tons, up 6.7 percent from last year.

Elsewhere in Europe, Turkey’s crude steel production jumped 13.0 percent in September to 3.0 million tons.