According to an expert estimate made by the Russian Special Steel and Alloys Consumers and Suppliers Association (Spetsstal), in the January-September period of this year Russia's stainless steel product output decreased by 11.6 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, falling to 75,297 mt.
The decrease was due to the step fall in the production of stainless steel flat rolled products by 33 percent, year on year. On the contrary, the output of other stainless steel products saw increases. In the first nine months of the year, stainless long steel production increased by 22.8 percent, wire by 11,7 percent and forged pieces by 10,1 percent, all on year-on-year basis.
In the period in question, the share of flats decreased to 45.5 percent compared to the 60 percent recorded in the same period in 2011, while the share of longs increased up to 45.6 percent compared to the 32.9 percent in January-September 2011. The shares of wire and forged pieces increased up to 2.9 percent and six percent respectively.
SpetsStal noted that over many years Chelyabinsky Plant had kept first place in output volumes among Russsian stainless steel makers. However, in 2012 the leading position was taken by VMS Red October Plant.