149.2 million metric tons of raw steel were produced globally in July, down 4% from June in a second straight monthly decline and just under 1% below a year earlier.
4.81 million tons per day marked the weakest daily production rate of 2026, leaving output only 7% above December's two-year low and implying annualized production of about 1.76 billion tons.
China produced 76.9 million tons—52% of the global total—after an 8% monthly drop and a 4% year-on-year decline, while the rest of the world rose less than 1% from June and 3% from a year earlier.
149.4 million tons is the past year's monthly average, still near a seven-year low after the 12-month trend slipped to 149.2 million tons two months ago from the 152-154 million range seen before mid-2025.
Vietnam's steel output rose 28% year to date through July, with Germany and Turkey up 8% and the United States and India up 6%, while Russia fell 6% and China declined 3%.