In January-March 2026, Finnish stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu increased product shipments by 27% compared to the previous quarter, to 465 thousand tons. At the same time, shipments decreased by 1% year–on-year. This will be discussed in the quarterly report.
The company notes that the improvement in market activity was due to seasonal factors and the impact of the CBAM mechanism in the European Union. After the launch of CBAM in January 2026, stainless steel imports to the EU began to lose competitiveness due to the appearance of a carbon component in the cost of supplies. This supported the demand for European products with a lower carbon footprint.
In the European segment, the supply of stainless steel reached 324 thousand tons. T, which is 46% more quarter-on-quarter and 2% more year-on-year. The growth also supported a partial solution to the problems with the new ERP system and logistics planning in Tornio, Finland.
In North America, shipments increased by 3% QoQ to 148 thousand. T, however, were 5% lower than a year earlier. The company notes a revival in demand from data centers, the pipe industry and certain industrial segments in the United States.
Due to increased supplies and improved market conditions, Outokumpu's adjusted EBITDA increased to €65 million from €10 million in the previous quarter and €49 million a year earlier. The company's revenue reached €1.45 billion (-4.8% YoY; +25% mom).
The company expects further improvement in results in the second quarter. Outokumpu forecasts a further 0-10% increase in stainless steel shipments compared to the first quarter of 2026.
