LONDON – Production of raw steel totaled 137 million mt in June in the 65 countries reporting to the World Steel Association, an increase of 3.1 percent compared with June 2013, and on a daily average basis 0.7 percent more than in May, the trade association said Tuesday. It took output in the first six months of 2014 to 821.3 million mt, up 2.5 percent on the first half of 2013. In June, the industry's capacity-utilization rate of 78.3 percent was unchanged from May and down 0.1 point from June 2013, the WSA said. China's output in June rose 4.5 percent year on year to 69.3 million mt. India and South Korea also produced more steel, but production in Japan and Taiwan fell year on year. North America's June output of 9.8 million mt was 3.6 percent ahead of the same month a year earlier. The US, Mexico and Canada all registered increases. South American output fell 6.5 percent to 3.6 million mt, as declines in Brazil, Venezuela and Chile were only partially offset by increases in Argentina and Peru, the WSA said. The biggest regional year-on-year rise in percentage terms was a 6.1 percent increase in the Middle East. June output rose by 7.1 percent in Iran, 34 percent in Qatar and 8.2 percent in Saudi Arabia. In the European Union, June output of 14.2 million mt was just 0.7 percent more than in the same month a year ago. Of the major producing countries, German output was 0.6 percent higher, French production up 1.6 percent, Spanish output up 6.0 percent and Polish production up 13.6 percent. But there were falls in Italy (3.7 percent), the UK (1.0 percent) and the Netherlands (3.3 percent). Other European countries' output was up by 5.4 percent in June, largely because of a 6.7 percent rise in Turkey. In the CIS, June output of 9.1 million mt was 1.8 percent higher year on year. Output fell 6 percent in Ukraine and 3.9 percent in Belarus, but rose by 3.9 percent in Russia and 29.7 percent in Kazakhstan. — Agencies