ANKARA: Global crude steel output was stable compared to a year earlier in the first half of 2024, according to data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel) on Tuesday. Steel output for 71 countries reporting to worldsteel stood at 954.6 million tons, the figures showed. World's number one steel producer China posted 1.1% annual decline in its January-June figure of 530.6 million tons. India's steel production surged 7.4% from a year earlier to 74.2 million tons in the six-month period. Output in Japan and the US dropped 2.6% and 2.4%, respectively to 42.7 million tons and 40 million tons in the same period. Russia's steel output fell 3% from the prior year 36.8 million tons in the first half of this year. Trkiye, the world's eighth-largest crude steel producer, posted a 16.9% hike in June, hitting 18.6 million tons. In June, production across 71 countries amounted to 161.4 million tons, marking a slight rise of 0.5% at an annualized pace. Source: Anadolu Agency