World stainless steel output rose over 10% in 2016

By Paul Ploumis

ALBANY (Scrap Monster): According to interim production figures published by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF), the global stainless steel production increased by 10.20% during the whole year 2016, in comparison with the previous year. The stainless steel melt shop production during the fourth quarter of the year dropped marginally by 1.46% when matched with Q3 2016.

The total stainless steel output during the entire year 2016 amounted to 44.900 million metric tons, higher by 10.2% when compared with the output of 40.744 million mt during 2015. When compared with the production during the quarter before, the stainless steel output during Q4 2016 has declined marginally by 1.46%. The global stainless steel output during Q4 2016 totaled 11.315 million mt as compared with 11.483 million mt during Q3 last year.

The production in the Western Europe/African region was up slightly by 2.40% to total 7.702 million mt during the whole of, in comparison with the production of 7.521 million mt during 2015. The Central/ Eastern European region’s production dropped when matched with the previous year. The output registered decline of 4.6% over the previous year to total 247,000 mt. The region had produced 259,000 metric tons of stainless steel during the entire year 2015.

The stainless steel output by the Americas has increased modestly by 6.7% during 2016 to 2.931 million mt. This is when matched with the production of 2.747 million mt during the year prior to that. The Chinese output increased significantly by 15.7% year-on-year during 2016 to 24.938 million mt. The stainless steel production by China had totaled 21.554 million mt during 2015. The output by the Asian region excluding China too reported growth of 4.8% over the year. The stainless steel output totaled 9.082 million mt during January to December in 2016 as against the output of 8.666 million mt during 2015.

The stainless steel production during the fourth quarter of the previous year by Western Europe/Africa increased significantly by 9.94% to 1.936 million mt when compared with the prior quarter. The region’s stainless steel output had totaled 1.761 million tonnes during Q3 2016. The quarterly output by Central/Eastern Europe region edged lower by nearly 8% quarter-on-quarter to 58,000 mt when matched with the production of 63,000 tons during the third quarter of 2016. The Americas and Asian region excluding China witnessed quarter-on-quarter decline of 7.61% and 32.01% respectively. The Chinese output in fourth quarter of 2016 surged higher by 8.4% over the previous quarter to 6.852 million tonnes.

The production in the Western Europe/African region had totaled 2.047 million tonnes in Q2 last year. The Central/ Eastern Europe had reported total stainless steel production of 61,000 tonnes. The output by the Americas had totaled 722,000 tonnes during that quarter. The second quarter output by China had totaled 6.551 million tonnes, whereas the Asian region without China reported 2.447 million tonnes of output during Q2 last year.

About ISSF

The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) is a non-profit research organization, which serves as the world forum on various aspects of the international stainless steel industry. ISSF was founded in 1996.