Global steel production fell to 144.2 million metric tons during August, down 5 million metric tons or -3.5% from July and -1.2% from August 2025. Although August is often a slower month for steelmakers, the current result is the third consecutive monthly decline in output across 70 countries, as reported by the World Steel Assn.

For the current year to-date, World Steel reports total global production is 1,225.2 million metric tons, or -0.7%. The trade association recently projected tepid growth in steel consumption for 2026 due to a range of depressive factors, including weakness in Chinese demand and regional conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Chinese steel production is the most influential factor in the global result, as that country’s producers routinely account for half or more of the global total. For August, Chinese steel production was 74.6 million metric tons, 51.7% of the total - but that was 3.1% less than China’s July output and -3.6% less than the August 2025 result.

China’s output from January through August is 651.9 million metric tons, which is 53.2% of the world’s total over the eight-month year-to-date period, but it is -3.1% less than China’s comparable result for 2025.

Though India’s steelmakers are producing at less than 20% of the volume of China’s industry, it is moving in the opposite direction. Indian steel production during August rose to 14.8 million metric tons, up 2.7% from July and 1.9% from August 2025. For the year to-date, the industry’s output is 115.9 million metric tons, up 6.0% from January-August 2025.

U.S. steelmakers’ August production totaled 7.3 million metric tons (8.053 million short tons), -1.4% less than July but 4.4% more than in August 2025. Through eight months of production this year, U.S. producers’ output total is 57.5 million metric tons (63.4 million short tons), or 5.5% more than last year’s figure.

In Japan, August steel production totaled 6.7 million metric tons, -3.0 % less than in July but even (+0.4%) with August 2025. The YTD production total is 54.0 million metric tons, which is just -0.2% less than during January-August 2025.

Russia’s steelmakers are estimated to have produced 5.5 million metric tons during August, -3.6% less than in July but down just -0.3% from August 2025. The year-to-date output for Russia is estimated at 43.8 million metric tons, -5.1% less than the eight-month total for 2025.

The South Korean industry produced 5.4 million metric tons for August, 1.9% more than in July and 2.6% more than in August 2025. The YTD total is 42.8 million metric tons, 2.8% above the January-August 2025 result.

The 27-nation European Union produced 8.9 million metric tons during August, -10.8% less than in July and -1.0% less than in August 2025. The eight-month output across the EU is 84.5 million metric tons, which is just -0.3% less than last year’s comparable result

Within that EU total, Germany’s 2.6 million metric tons is -7.7% less than in July but 3.0% more than in August 2025. The eight-month YTD result for German steel output is 23.9 million metric tons, 6.3% more than during January-August 2025.

World Steel Assn. compiles tonnage totals for carbon steel output from basic-oxygen or electric arc furnaces and cast into semi-finished forms like billets for bar and rod products; slabs for flat products; or blooms, for beam and pipe products. Specialty and stainless steel volumes are not included.