According to the Stainless Steel Report March 2012 issued by Germany-based service centre Damstahl, European stainless steel demand slowed in March this year after an excellent start in 2012. However, Damstahl is not pessimistic for 2012 and forecasts that Germany will remain a growth engine in Europe.
According to the report, it is expected that real stainless steel demand in Europe will grow slightly in 2012, by 6 million mt or one percent, while 78 percent of the demand is expected to be for flat products. Meanwhile, continuous strong growth is expected for the US stainless market (5-10 percent in 2012), while China will climb slower than in previous years (approximately five percent in 2012). Global stainless steel real demand is forecast by Damstahl to grow by four percent in 2012.