German iron and steel production rose during September

German iron and steel production up in September.

German iron and steel production rose during September, suggesting demand was improving, but was still down sharply from a year earlier as the market remained weakened by the economic downturn, the Federal Statistical Office said Thursday. The Wiesbaden-based office said German mills produced 2.1 million tons (1.93 million metric tons) of iron for the month, a 7.3 percent rise from August. German mills produced 3.5 million tons (3.17 million metric tons) of steel for the month, an 8 percent increase on the month. Compared with a year earlier, however, iron production was down 26 percent, while steel output was 22 percent lower. For the January-September period, both iron and steel production are about 40 percent lower compared with the first nine months of 2008.