Buoyed by strong output from all major steel-producing regions, global crude steel production in June rose 8 percent over the same month in 2010, according to the World Steel Association.

Global crude steel production totaled approximately 127.7 million metric tons in June, up from 118.6 million tons in the same month last year, according to the latest data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel) yesterday. Last month's total worldwide output figure marks an 8 percent year-over-year increase.

At 82.8 percent, the crude steel capacity utilization ratio of the 64 countries tracked by worldsteel rose 2.5 percent over June 2010.

"World crude steel production in the first six months of 2011 was 757.8 [million metric tons], 7.6 percent higher in comparison with the same period of 2010," the association said in a statement. "All major steel-producing regions showed increased production."

Crude steel output from China, the world's top producer and consumer of the metal, rose to 59.9 million tons in June, up 11.9 percent from the same month last year. "China's tighter monetary policy has not had any significant impact on steel production, even though some analysts were expecting a slowdown," Reuters reports. For the first six months of 2011, China's crude steel production totaled 350.5 million metric tons, a 9.6 percent year-over-year increase.

Elsewhere in Asia, India produced 6 million metric tons, a 7.3 percent increase over June 2010. South Korea's crude steel production for June 2011 totaled 5.7 million metric tons, up 19 percent compared to the prior-year level. Japan produced 8.9 million metric tons of crude steel in June 2011, down 5 percent from the same month last year. Combined steel output from all Asian countries tracked by worldsteel totaled 82.1 million metric tons in June, up 9.6 percent from 74.9 million in June 2010.

In the first half of this year, Asia's steel output rose 8.6 percent from the same period last year, totaling 484.8 million metric tons of crude steel.

In the European Union, Germany's crude steel output for June 2011 was 3.9 million metric tons, edging up 0.2 percent from the same month last year. Italy produced 2.6 million metric tons, up 15.2 percent over June 2010. Year-over-year production in Spain rose 4.5 percent to total 1.5 million metric tons. France produced 1.4 million metric tons of crude steel last month, a 6.1 percent drop from June 2010. Combined, the 27 countries in the E.U. produced 15.7 million metric tons of crude steel last month, up 3.9 percent from 15.1 million in June 2010.

So far this year, the E.U. has produced 93.4 million metric tons of crude steel, up 4.1 percent from the first six months of 2010.

In the United States, steel output reached 7.2 million metric tons last month, a 1.7 percent increase over June 2010. So far this year, total U.S. crude steel production has risen to 42.7 million metric tons, up 4.3 percent from the first half of 2010.

Meanwhile, U.S. steel product shipments continue to improve over last year. Steel product shipments from U.S. metals service centers totaled 3.6 million tons of steel in June, up 11.2 percent from the prior-year level, according to the Metals Service Center Institute this week. Year-to-date steel shipments have reached 20.9 million tons, an 18.6 percent increase over the same period last year. At 7.9 million tons, steel product inventories last month were up 7.6 percent over June 2010 and, at current shipping rates, were equivalent to a 2.2-month supply.