Brussels 10 July 2014 – The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has released figures for Q1 2014 showing that stainless steel melt shop production increased by 6.8% year–on–year to 10.2 million metric tons (mmt). Production increased in all regions.
With a y–o–y growth of 3.0% Asia (without China) produced 2.2 mmt. Japan and South Korea recorded increases of 9.5% and 3.5% respectively. India and Taiwan, China were negative with –2.6% and –3.6% respectively. Stainless steel production in China increased by 11.1% to 5.1 mmt y–o–y. China produces about half of the world’s stainless steel.
Production in Western Europe and Africa increased by 0.2% to 2.2 mmt. France increased by 10.1%, but Germany declined by 18.9%, Italy by 2.4% and Austria by 2.0%.
Production increased by 11.9% to 0.7 mmt in the Americas and by 5.5% to 0.1 mmt in Central and Eastern Europe.
Table 1: Stainless and heat-resisting melt shop steel production [000 metric tons]
| Region |
Quarter |
+/- % |
|||
| 1/2013 | 4/2013 | 1/2014 | q-o-q | y-o-y | |
| Western Europe/Africa |
2,157 |
1,813 |
2,160 |
19.2% |
0.2% |
| Central/Eastern Europe |
67r |
80r |
71 |
-11.5% |
5.5% |
| The Americas |
598 |
630 |
670 |
6.2% |
11.9% |
| Asia (w/o China) |
2,170 |
2,301 |
2,234 |
-2.9% |
3.0% |
| China |
4,575 |
4,809 |
5,084 |
5.7% |
11.1% |
| Total |
9,568r |
9,633r |
10,219 |
6.1% |
6.8% |
r=revised
Source: International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF)