World Steel Output Falls in August as China Production Slumps

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Global crude steel production declined in August 2026, according to the latest data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel). The weaker output in China, Asia and several other major producing regions offset gains in North America and Africa,

The 70 countries reporting to the Association produced 144.2 million tonnes (Mt) of crude steel in August, down 1.2% from the same month a year earlier. Cumulative production for January-August reached 1.225 billion tonnes, down by 0.7% when compared with the corresponding eight-month period in 2025.

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The Asia and Oceania region remained the largest producer at 106.7 Mt, although the region’s output slipped 1.4%. African production increased 8.8% to 2.1 Mt, while North American output rose 3.9% to 9.4 Mt. The EU-27 produced 8.9 Mt, down 1%, whereas South American production dropped 4.9%.

China’s August output fell 3.7% to 74.6 Mt, extending its year-to-date decline to 3.1%. In contrast, India’s production totalled 14.8 Mt, up 4.6% year-on-year. U.S. production rose 3% to an estimated 7.3 Mt, while Japan’s output edged up 0.4%.

Among the other leading producers, South Korea increased production 2.6% to 5.4 Mt, and Germany rose 1.7% to 2.6 Mt. Brazil’s output declined 6.2% to 2.7 Mt.

Vietnam recorded the strongest growth among the top 10, with production surging 36.4% to 2.7 Mt. The country’s cumulative output during January-August was up 29.1% at 20.6 Mt.