According to the data issued by the Russian Special Steel and Alloys Consumers and Suppliers Association (Spetsstal), in July this year Russia's stainless steel product imports increased by 10 percent compared to the previous month, rising to 21,160 mt.
The increase was due to the rise in imports of stainless steel flat rolled products and welded tubes by 24 percent and 10.4 percent respectively, month on month. Supplies of other kinds of stainless steel products decreased in the range of 7.4 percent to 29 percent.
According to an expert estimate made by SpetsStal Association, in 2011 Russian companies imported 31,387 mt of stainless steel tubes, including 14,796 mt of seamless and 16,591 mt of welded tubes.
SpetsStal noted that Russia's domestic output of stainless steel seamless tubes in 2011 amounted to 13,494 mt, while domestic output of stainless welded tubes in the given year was 9,701 mt. In 2013, competition in the Russian stainless steel tube market is expected to become more intense due to imports of cheaper tubes from China, the Ukraine and the EU, as stated by SpetsStal.