In the fourth quarter last year, global stainless crude steel output decreased by 0.4 percent quarter on quarter to 10.15 million mt, declining 1.04 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to the preliminary report released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).
In 2015, global stainless crude steel output fell by 0.3 percent year on year to 41,548 mt.
According to the ISSF data, in the fourth quarter last year stainless crude steel production decreased by 6.1 percent in China, rose by 8.3 percent in the Asia region excluding China, while decreasing by 16 percent in the Americas region, falling by 4.7 percent in the Central and Eastern Europe region and increasing by 10.7 percent in the Western Europe and Africa region, all compared with the fourth quarter of 2014.
In 2015, stainless crude steel production decreased by 0.6 percent in China, rose by 1.4 percent in the Asia region excluding China, while decreasing by 2.3 percent in the Americas region, falling by 6.5 percent in the Central and Eastern Europe region and declining by 0.7 percent in the Western Europe and Africa region, all compared with 2014.
Stainless crude steel production (x 1,000 metric tons):
| Region |
| Q-o-q change |
| Y-o-y change (%) | ||
| 2015-Q4 | 2015-Q3 | (%) | 2015 | 2014 | ||
| Western Europe/Africa | 1,780 | 1,673 | 6.4 | 7,518 | 7,570 | -0.7 |
| Central/Eastern Europe | 61 | 65 | -6.15 | 259 | 277 | -6.5 |
| The Americas | 601 | 693 | -13.3 | 2,747 | 2,813 | -2.3 |
| Asia (excluding China) | 2,385 | 2,392 | -0.3 | 9,461 | 9,333 | 1.4 |
| China | 5,324 | 5,371 | -0.8 | 21,562 | 21,692 | -0.6 |
| TOTAL | 10,152 | 10,195 | -0.4 | 41,548 | 41,686 | -0.3 |