Crude steel output up 40%

The country's crude steel production increased 39.6 per cent in August this year to 3.62 million tonne against 2.593 million tonne in same month last year.

This increase was higher than that in China, where the figure was 26.8 per cent. Production in the first eight months of the year was 25.693 million tonne, a rise of 21.3 per cent over the corresponding period in year 2004.

This increase in growth was among the fastest seen in the world, as it was behind that of China, Libya and Zimbabwe's.

According to a press release by the International Iron and Steel Institute, the world crude steel production was estimated to be 91.4 million tonnes in August, as against 86.139 million tonnes for same month last year, an increase of 6.1 per cent.