Japan's crude steel production in July increased 20.4 percent on year to 9.22 million tons, marking the ninth straight month of growth, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said in a report on Friday.

For a third successive month steel output was logged at above the 9 million ton mark due to increased demand from other Asian countries, although steelmakers have been struggling with price decline in some steel sheet products, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis the Federation noted output declined 1.4 percent from a month earlier, although the federation suggested production was likely to enter a correction phase.