[ Global Crude Steel Production Contracts 1.2% in August 2026 ]
Global crude steel production across 70 countries decreased by 1.2% year-on-year to 144.2 million tonnes in August 2026, according to the World Steel Association. India recorded a 4.6% production increase to 14.8 million tonnes, offsetting some of the steeper declines in the Middle East, where output fell 4.6% to 3.7 million tonnes. Overall output from the EU-27 dropped 1.0% to 8.9 million tonnes, leaving global cumulative production for the first eight months of 2026 at 1.225 billion tonnes, down 0.7% compared to the prior year.