World stainless steel melt shop production fell by 9.4% year on year to 23.673 million mt in the first half of 2020, figures released Sept. 29 by International Stainless Steel Forum showed.
Output was down in all regions monitored by the ISSF, with China showing the smallest decline, off 2.7% from H1 2019 at 13.961 million mt. Production in Asia outside of China, on the other hand, fell 24% to 2.966 million mt.
Double-digit year-on-year declines were also seen in the US, down 20% to 1.077 million mt, and Europe, down 16% to 3.131 million mt.
Output in the “others” category — comprising Brazil, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Indonesia — was down 8.4% at 2.538 million mt.
Global melt shop production in the second quarter of this year was, however, up from Q1 levels at 11.968 million mt -— a 2.2% increase.
That was due to a rebound in Chinese output, where Q2 production rose to 7.881 million mt from 6.08 million mt in Q1.
Q2 production in the other regions was down from Q1 levels.
— Andy Blamey
