According to the data issued by the Russian Special Steel and Alloys Consumers and Suppliers Association (Spetsstal), during the first quarter of 2010 Russia's output of rolled products of stainless steel increased by 108.3 percent to 26,139 mt compared to the same period last year.
"This volume is still lower than the amounts from 2007 and 2008, but most of the market participants are optimistic about the future," Spetsstal said.
In 2009, Russia's consumption of main stainless steel products decreased by 36.2 percent year on to 191,800 mt. "The pace of consumption recovery will directly depend on the activity of consuming industries, and primarily, on the manufacturers of engineering products," reads Spetsstal's statement.