Global stainless steel melt shop production dropped by 8pc to 11.7mn mt in Q1 from 12.7mn mt Q1 2019, according to International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).
It also declined by 5.8pc from 12.4mn mt in Q4 2019. In Q1 2020, Stainless steel melt shop production in Europe fell by 6.3pc to 1.7mn mt from 1.8mn mt in Q1 2019, while it rose by 13.1pc from 1.5mn mt in Q4 2019.
In the first quarter of the year, the US had a10.9pc decline to 627,000mt in stainless steel melt shop production from 704,000mt in Q1 2019, and a 9.1pc increase from 574,000mt in Q4 2019.
Chinese stainless steel melt shop production decreased by 9pc to 6mn mt in Q1 2020 from 6.7mn mt during the same period in 2019, and it decreased by 12pc from 6.9mn mt in Q4 2019.
Asian countries, excluding China and South Korea, recorded a 3.8pc decline to 1.8mn mt in stainless steel melt shop production in Q1 2020 from 1.9mn mt in Q1 2019. They also saw a decline of 6.8pc from 2mn mt from the previous quarter.
Stainless steel melt shop production in other countries decreased by 9.7pc to 1.3mn mt in the first quarter of the year from 1.4mn mt in Q1 2019, and declined by 1.2pc from 1.3mn mt in Q4 2019.