In the first quarter of this year, world stainless crude steel output increased by 6.1 percent quarter on quarter and by 6.8 percent year on year, amounting to 10.22 million mt, according to the preliminary report released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).
According to the ISSF data, in the first quarter of this year stainless crude steel production increased by 11.9 percent in the Americas region, by 11.1 percent in China, by 5.5 percent in Eastern Europe, by three percent in the Asia region excluding China and by 0.2 percent in the Western Europe and Africa region, all compared with the first quarter of 2013.
Among countries in the Asia region, Japan's and South Korea's stainless crude steel output increased by 9.5 percent and 3.5 percent, while India and Taiwan's production decreased by 2.6 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively, all on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, in the Western Europe and Africa region, stainless crude steel production increased by 10.1 percent in France, but declined by 18.9 percent in Germany, by 2.4 percent in Italy and by two percent in Austria, all on year-on-year basis.
Stainless crude steel production (x 1,000 metric tons):
| Region | Q-o-q change | Y-o-y change (%) | ||||
| 2013-Q4 | 2014-Q1 | (%) | 2013-Q1 | 2014-Q1 | ||
| Western Europe/Africa | 1,813 | 2,160 | 19.2 | 2,157 | 2,160 | 0.2 |
| Central/Eastern Europe | 80 | 71 | -11.5 | 67 | 71 | 5.5 |
| The Americas | 630 | 670 | 6.2 | 598 | 670 | 11.9 |
| Asisa (excluding China) | 2,301 | 2,234 | -2.9 | 2,170 | 2,234 | 3.0 |
| China* | 4,809 | 5,084 | 5.7 | 4,575 | 5,084 | 11.1 |
| TOTAL | 9,633 | 10,219 | 6.1 | 9,568 | 10,219 | 6.8 |