Growth in world steel production has been cementing; and not just in China. The latest industry figures show that the trend in Chinese growth persists, with output rising almost 20 percent year-on-year in June, However, data also suggests that output is increasing in most regions except Africa and South America, while even in the latter, Brazilian production should recover through the third quarter once existing technical problems are corrected. The rate of carbon steel production is jumping in North America and Europe, including the CIS. This is partly a bounce from weaker output from the second quarter of this year and because of fresh stockpiling. Steel prices have reached a plateau in many regions, while in some countries the market has eased, notably in China where supply is outpacing demand.
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