Global crude steel production slipped 1.3% from a year earlier to 150.1 million tons in July, according to figures released by the World Steel Association. Output in China, which accounts for more than half of world supply, fell 4.0% to 79.7 million tons in the same period. Separately, weekly inventory data from the Shanghai Futures Exchange showed mixed movements across industrial metals. Copper stocks declined 5.40% while aluminum inventories rose 3.28%. Zinc and aluminum registered modest increases, whereas lead, nickel, tin and rubber posted declines.