[SMM Stainless Steel Flash] India's JSL to Expand Coin Blank Making Capacity by 20% Amid Rising Global Demand

Japan's Chugai Ro has delivered an electrically heated continuous bright annealing line (BA3) to Romanian stainless steel producer Otelinox. Ordered in January 2023 and commissioned in December 2025, the line processes stainless steel strip with thicknesses of 0.07–1.0mm and widths of 600–1,320mm. By replacing conventional combustion-based heating with electricity, the facility eliminates direct carbon emissions from the annealing process, avoiding an estimated 2,770 mt of CO2 annually while maintaining product surface quality and brightness. Chugai Ro has now delivered seven bright annealing lines to Otelinox since 1977, including the producer's first electrically heated unit in 1995. The project is expected to strengthen Chugai Ro's European market presence as it expands sales of electric heat-treatment equipment supporting decarbonization and productivity improvement.

Japanese stainless steel producer Nippon Kinzoku has commenced mass production of ultra-thin, narrow-width stainless steel optimized for laser welding in ultra-fine insulin needles, establishing a stable supply system in response to growing global demand. As 30G, 31G, and 32G ultra-fine needles gain wider adoption driven by compact pen injectors and weight-management medications, laser welding is increasingly replacing traditional TIG and plasma welding, enabling welding speeds over significantly thinner base materials. The new material features a representative thickness of 0.08mm and width of 6.3mm, more than 50% thinner than the 0.2mm/12.8mm specification used for TIG/plasma welding — with high-precision dimensional tolerances, consistent weldability across coils of up to 4,000 meters, and sufficient workability for drawing into ultra-fine needles without fracture. Nippon Kinzoku already supplies its NK-304NKM specialized stainless steel for thin-walled welded tubes used in medical and cosmetic applications.

The European Commission published melt-and-pour origin certification rules for steel (including stainless steel) imports in the Official Journal on August 31, with a one-year transition period. From October 1, 2027, importers must provide a mill test certificate (MTC) specifying the melt-and-pour country and heat number. During the transition period from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, standalone documents containing both the melt-and-pour country and heat number may serve as valid proof where MTCs are unavailable. Supplementary evidence — including invoices, delivery notes, quality certificates, purchase contract clauses, long-term supplier declarations, cost accounting documents, exporting country customs documents, commercial correspondence, or production descriptions — may be accepted, subject to verification by competent customs authorities. Importers must declare the melt-and-pour country via TARIC commodity codes, and shipments lacking proper verifiable documentation face customs rejection.