Global stainless steel production down 2.5% in 2020: ISSF

Global stainless steel melt shop production fell 2.5% to 50.90 million mt in 2020, figures released on March 15 by the International Stainless Steel Forum showed.

Output was down in most regions monitored by the ISSF, with the exception of China, which saw an increase of 2.5% to 30.14 million mt, while production from countries in the ‘Others’ category — Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa and South Korea — rose 6% to 5.86 million mt.

Production in Asia, outside of China, saw steepest fall, of 19% to 6.43 million mt. US output fell 17% to 2.14 million mt. Europe registered a decrease of 7.1% to 6.32 million mt.

Global melt shop production in the fourth quarter of this year was, however, up from Q3 levels as well as from Q4 of 2019 at 14.13 million mt from 13.53 million mt and 12.42 million mt, respectively.

— Annalisa Villa