Preliminary figures released by the International Stainless Steel Forum show that worldwide stainless steel crude steel production increased by 3.6% YoY in the first nine months of 2011 as compared to the corresponding period of 2010. Total production for the first three quarters of 2011 was an accumulated 24.2 million tonnes. Production reached 7.7 million tonnes in the third quarter, a new all time high for a third quarter. However, there are big differences in the performance of the individual regions.

Excluding China, stainless steel production in Asia, decreased by 1.9% to 6.6 million tonnes for the first nine months of 2011. However, the growth rates of the individual stainless producing countries in Asia showed variations ranging from plus 10% in India, to minus 33% in Taiwan.

Mainland China increased its stainless steel production by 12.8% in the first three quarters of 2011 to 9.4 million tonnes. The country now accounts for around 39% of the world’s stainless steel production. This compares to the same period of 2010, when China’s market share was at about 36%. At the end of the third quarter of 2011, Asia (including China) accounted for two thirds of the world’s stainless steel production and the trend is increasing.

Western Europe Africa is the third largest stainless steel producing area in the world. However, stainless steel production in the first three quarters of 2011 dropped slightly by 0.7%. Total production was 6 million tonnes for the first nine months of the year.

In The Americas region, stainless crude steel production decreased by 5.5% to 1.9 million tonnes over the first three quarters of the year. Production in the Central and Eastern Europe region showed an increase of 20.4%. However, total production for the year so far is just 0.3 million tonnes, an almost negligible volume.

Stainless crude steel production:

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Source: International Stainless Steel Forum

Looking at the third quarter alone, production was the highest ever recorded for a third quarter. However, all of the increase came from the Asia region (including China). Both Asia and China itself produced more stainless in the third quarter of 2011 than in 2010.

Production in the Central/Eastern Europe region decreased compared to the second quarter of 2011, but was higher than in the third quarter of 2010. In both the Western Europe/Africa and the Americas regions, production decreased when compared to both the second quarter of 2011 and the third quarter of 2010.

Stainless crude steel production (Quarter wise)

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Source: International Stainless Steel Forum