Global stainless steel melt shop production fell by 7.8pc to 36.7mn mt in the first nine months of 2020 from 39.8mn mt in the prior-year period, according to data from the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).
In Q1 2020, stainless steel output was 11.6mn mt and fell marginally to 11.5mn mt in Q2 2020. However, the third quarter saw a surge in production to 13.5mn mt, ISSF stated.
In January-September, Europe saw a 13.1pc decline in volumes to 4.5mn mt from 5.2mn mt in the same period last year. Meanwhile, production fell 22pc in the US, tallying at 1.5mn mt against 2mn mt in the same period under comparison.
China also saw a 2.4pc drop in stainless steel melt shop output to 21.9mn mt in the year till September from 22.4mn mt in the same months last year. Asian production, excluding China and S.Korea, saw a 21.8pc decline to 4.5mn mt in the first nine months of the year from 5.8mn mt during the same period in 2019.
In other regions, output fell 3.1pc fall in January-September to settle at 4mn mt, compared with 4.1mn mt in the same nine-month period in 2019, ISSF reported.