Crude steel production across the 70 countries reporting to the World Steel Association came in at 149.2 million tonnes in July 2026, a 0.3% decline compared to July 2025.
Regional performance was mixed. Asia and Oceania, by far the largest producing region, output 109.4 million tonnes, down 1.2% year-on-year, while the Middle East saw the steepest drop at 13.4%. On the upside, Africa grew 6.1%, Europe (excluding the EU) rose 5.8%, North America increased 4.9%, and the EU produced 10.5 million tonnes, up 3.8%. Russia and other CIS countries plus Ukraine, as well as South America, also posted modest gains.
Among the top producers, China remained the largest by a wide margin at 76.9 million tonnes, though output there fell 3.6% compared to a year earlier. India followed with 14.4 million tonnes (+1.9%), ahead of the United States at 7.4 million tonnes (+4.4%) and Japan at 6.9 million tonnes (+0.4%). The standout performer was Viet Nam, whose production jumped 34.7% year-on-year to 2.7 million tonnes. Germany’s estimated output rose 3.0% to 2.8 million tonnes, matching Brazil’s total for the month.
