[SMM Stainless Steel Market Flash] Flat End-User Demand Keeps Pressure on European Stainless Margins

Published: May 25, 2026 17:29

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Underlying end-user demand in Europe has still not shown any real improvement. Management comments from both Outokumpu and Aperam indicate that demand remains flat at a low level. As service centers and distributors now have to restock at elevated prices while struggling to pass those increases on downstream, market participants in Germany, Italy, Poland, and elsewhere are being forced into price concessions, putting further pressure on margins.

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