In the first quarter of this year, world stainless crude steel output decreased by 5.8 percent quarter on quarter to 11.693 million mt, while falling by eight percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to the preliminary report released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).
According to the ISSF data, in the first quarter this year stainless crude steel production decreased by nine percent in China and moved down by 3.8 percent in the Asia region excluding China and South Korea, while decreasing by 10.9 percent in the US and by 6.3 percent in Europe, all compared to the first quarter of 2019.
Stainless crude steel production (x 1,000 metric tons):
Region |
Quarter
|
||||
1/2019 |
4/2019 |
1/2020 |
Q-o-q change (%) |
Y-o-y change (%) |
|
Europe |
1,899 |
1,572 |
1,779 |
13.1 |
-6.3 |
USA |
704 |
574 |
627 |
9.1 |
-10.9 |
China |
6,684 |
6,910 |
6,080 |
-12.0 |
-9.0 |
Asia (excluding China and S. Korea) |
1,961 |
2,023 |
1,886 |
-6.8 |
-3.8 |
Others |
1,464 |
1,339 |
1,323 |
-1.2 |
-9.7 |
Total |
12,711 |
12,418 |
11,693 |
-5.8 |
-8.0 |