Global crude steel production reached 103.9 million metric tons in July, the highest monthly level of 2009 but still 11.1 percent lower than a year earlier, a new report said Thursday.

The report of the World Steel Association revealed that the world and China's crude steel production has been rising steadily since April.

Crude steel production in China, the world's largest metal producer and consumer, was up 12.6 percent year-on-year to 50.7 million tons in July, almost half of the world crude steel production, the report said.

This was the first time that China produced more than 50 million tons in a single month, according to the report.

Meanwhile, U.S. production was 41.6 percent lower than in July 2008, and EU production was 35.6 percent lower than a year earlier.

Total crude steel production in 66 of the world's main countries was 653 million tons for the first seven months of 2009, a 19.9 percent fall compared with the same period last year, the report said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2009)