According to the Russian Special Steel and Alloys Consumers and Suppliers Association (Spetsstal), in the first half of this year Russia's consumption of stainless steel long products increased by 69.1 percent year on year to 26,730 mt. At the same time, the domestic output of these products grew by 68.2 percent, exports shrunk by 0.5 percent, and imports increased by 59.9 percent, all compared to the same period last year.
Despite such an increase in comparison to 2009, the consumption of stainless steel long products in 2010 still lags behind the 2008 levels by a margin of 30 percent. In the first half of 2008, Russia's consumption of stainless steel long products amounted to 38,140 mt.