Middle East crude steel production declined 13.4pct YoY to 3.8 mln tons in July 2026, according to World Steel Association data. During the January-July period, regional output fell 8.1pct YoY to 29.6 mln tons.
The Middle East region includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.
The continued decline comes amid severe disruptions to regional logistics and trade flows following the escalation of the Iran-US conflict. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained heavily restricted in July and August, with traffic in the week to August 21 around 90pct below pre-conflict levels. Disruptions have also affected the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea corridor, increasing shipping risks and costs for regional and international trade.
Iran, the region’s largest steel producer, remained outside the global top 10 steel-producing countries. Continued production and export disruptions, alongside renewed geopolitical tensions and logistical constraints, are weighing on regional steel activity and keeping the outlook uncertain.
In Africa, crude steel production increased 6.1pct YoY to 2.0 mln tons in July, while January-July output rose 9.5pct to 14.6 mln tons. Production was reported from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia.
Turkey, the world’s seventh-largest steel producer, recorded crude steel output of 3.4 mln tons in July, up 7.0pct YoY. During the January-July period, Turkish production increased 7.9pct to 23.2 mln tons.
Globally, crude steel production by the 70 countries reporting to the World Steel Association declined 0.3pct YoY to 149.2 mln tons in July. During January-July, global output fell 0.6pct YoY to 1,081.2 mln tons.
China’s crude steel production declined 3.6pct YoY to 76.9 mln tons in July, while January-July output fell 3.1pct to 577.0 mln tons.
India produced 14.4 mln tons of crude steel in July, up 1.9pct YoY, while January-July production increased 6.1pct to 101.1 mln tons.
In the United States, crude steel production rose 4.4pct YoY to 7.4 mln tons in July, while January-July output increased 6.0pct to 50.2 mln tons.