The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has released its first quarter 2019 production figures. According to him, the world production of stainless steel in January-March decreased slightly - by 2.5 percent compared to the previous year (APPG) and amounted to 12.5 million tons.
According to ISSF, stainless steel production in China totaled 6.434 million tonnes, up 4.4 percent from the previous quarter. However, production was down 1.5 percent year over year. China accounted for nearly 52 percent of global stainless steel production in the reporting period.
Asia without China and South Korea became the second largest producer in the world, producing 1.961 million tonnes of stainless steel in the first quarter of this year. Regional output declined by 1.1 percent and 5.7 percent compared to the previous quarter and APPI, respectively.
Stainless steel production in Europe in the first quarter of 2019 was 1.899 million tonnes. This is 8.7 percent more than in the previous quarter. Compared to the previous year, production decreased by 5.7 percent.
Stainless steel production in Brazil, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Indonesia combined totaled 1.467 million tonnes, up 11.9 percent quarter-on-quarter and 2 percent year on year.
US stainless steel production jumped 12.7 percent to 704 kt in the first quarter of 2019.
