According to the preliminary figures released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF), global stainless crude steel production increased in the third quarter of 2009 by 17.19 percent compared to second quarter of this year to 7.064 million metric tons, while a year on year increase of 12.54 percent was also registered.

All major regions showed relatively similar production volumes in the
third quarter of 2009 compared to the year-ago quarter, while the
stainless steel production volumes in the given quarter increased in
all regions compared to the previous quarter. Only China reported a
significant quarter-on-quarter increase in its production volume during
the third quarter this year.

Excluding China, stainless steel production in the Asia region rose
slightly by 0.24 percent year on year to approximately 2.084 million
metric tons in the third quarter of 2009, and was up 24.8 percent
quarter on quarter. China increased its stainless steel production in
the period in question by 51.36 percent year on year and by 8.88
percent quarter on quarter to 2.502 million metric tons. In the quarter
in question, China’s stainless steel production accounted for almost
35.5 percent of the world’s total stainless steel production.

Western Europe/Africa reported an 8.18 percent year-on-year decrease in
stainless steel production during the third quarter of 2009, while a
quarter-on-quarter increase of 11.45 percent was seen.

In the Americas region, stainless crude steel production surged 18.8
percent year on year and was up 48.63 percent over the previous
quarter, reaching 651,000 metric tons in the third quarter of 2009. In
the same period, production in the Eastern Europe region showed a
decrease of 18.67 percent year on year, but was up 50 percent quarter
on quarter, totaling 75,000 metric tons.

Meanwhile, in the first nine months of this year, China’s total
stainless steel output amounted to 6.57 million metric tons – up 19.13
percent, Asia excluding China produced 5.04 million metric tons of
stainless steel – down 23.16 percent, Western Europe plus Africa’s
stainless steel output totaled 4.64 million metric tons – down 31.52
percent, the Americas’ output reached 1.5 million metric tons – down
23.84 percent, and, finally, the stainless steel output of Central and
Eastern Europe amounted to 175,000 metric tons – down 38.16 percent,
all compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Source: Steel Orbis

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• 2009 in China stainless steel output by 25%

    According to the data from the Stainless Steel Council of China Special Steel Enterprises Association (SSC), China’s stainless steel production recorded high to 8.6mln tons in 2009, hiking by 25% than last year. Stainless steel consumption also went up around 30% to more than 8.1mln tons. China’s stainless steel producers

• Drop in stainless production Tempered for the third quarter of recovery

    Brussels, 5 January 2010. Preliminary figures released today by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) show that world stainless steel production decreased by 15% in the first nine months of 2009 when compared to the same period of 2008. However, production figures for the third quarter show an increase of

• South Korea POSCO says steel prices to increase

    South Korea’s POSCO, the world’s No. 4 steelmaker, said on Thursday it would raise prices of its stainless steel products by up to 3.2 percent for those to be released in March due to rising raw material prices. It said in a statement that prices of hot-rolled stainless steel product

• POSCO study possible expansion of the Vietnam Steel ops

    A POSCO senior executive arrived in Vietnam in March 15 for a three-day visit to survey a possible expansion in the group’s stainless steel division in the country. Oh Chang-Kwan, senior executive deputy president of the Republic of Korea-based POSCO group’s stainless steel division, has visited the country because the

• The profits of Chinese stainless steel producers in 2009 can be improved

    Chinese stainless steel mills are expected  to  witness  larger  profits this year than in 2008 due to rising domestic  prices  and  increasing  output, industry insiders told Interfax on Sept. 2. “Our stainless  steel  business is very likely to be profitable in 2009, following  our  recorded  losses  last  year,”  Wang  Chengxue, a senior

• POSCO s steel export prices remain unchanged

    The export price of stainless steel from POSCO is unchanged m-o-m. It is understood that POSCO made an export offer for Oct.-Nov. delivery, thereinto, the export price of CR stainless steel (0.5T) to Taiwan was U.S.$3,250 per ton (CFR) and the price to Europe and other regions was U.S.$3,150 per ton. Insiders of

• Taiwan build Formosa steel plant in Vietnam to

    Formosa Plastics Group, one of Taiwan’s largest industrial conglomerates, said Monday it plans a stainless steel plant in Vietnam, with local media citing a budget of over three billion US dollars. The plant will be part of a steel mill complex that the conglomerate intends to build in the central

• TISCO plans steel price of U.S. $ 15-29 per ton advance

    Traders said that TISCO will adjust up the prices of 304 series and 430 series of stainless steel by 200 yuan per ton (U.S.$29 per ton ) and 100 yuan per ton (U.S.$15 per ton ) respectively.

• POSCO to raise steel prices: report

    South Korea’s POSCO, the world’s No.4 steelmaker, will raise major steel product prices in the second quarter this year as higher raw material costs bite, a company official said on Wednesday. Hwang Eun-yeon, senior vice president in charge of marketing strategy, told Reuters that POSCO needed to hike prices by

• Shanxi is preparing to adapt the plan for the iron and steel industry detail

    Shanxi Economics and Information Committee made a detailed plan to adjust and revitalize its steel industry, which is an important tax payer and job supplier in the province.

• Steel Min look at the demand for iron ore export ban

    Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh today said that he subscribes to the view that there should be a ban on exports of iron ore.

• Asian average stainless steel prices – latest forecasts from MEPS

    Our Asian stainless steel forecasts are little changed from December 2009. An anticipated hike in alloy surcharges for February 2010 will, almost certainly, result in a significant hike in selling figures for all austenitic products this month. Sales volumes are expected to improve as distributors refill depleted inventories

• Taiyuan seeking Australian iron, nickel investments

    Taiyuan Iron & Steel Group, China’s biggest stainless-steel producer, is looking to invest in iron ore and nickel resources in Australia and other countries, Chairman Li Xiaobo said. “We are chasing some iron ore projects as well as nickel,” Li said in an interview in Shanghai, declining to give details. “So

• MEPS forecasts near-record global production of stainless steel in 2010

    Global crude stainless steel production for 2009 is expected to total 24.7 million tonnes. This corresponds to a decline of 4.6 percent from the result in the previous calendar year. MEPS’ forecast for the outturn in 2010 is 28 million tonnes – just 0.2 million tonnes shy of the all-time

• Reliance Steel reports 4Q profit, demand is uncertain

    Reliance Steel & Aluminum reported a fourth-quarter profit on Thursday that beat most expectations, but shares dipped after the company said there was too much uncertainty over demand to provide further guidance. The company, which has clients in the aerospace, energy and construction industries, said it expects a slow recovery