\n\tPreliminary figures released by the International Stainless Steel Forum, Brussels, show that global stainless crude steel production increased by 5.5% for the first nine months of 2013 year-over-year. Production for the first nine months of 2013 totaled 28 million metric tons (mmt), up 1.4 mmt in comparison to the same period of 2012. Production for the third quarter 2013 was 9.3 mmt, a new all\u2013time third quarter high. However, significant differences in regional development prevail.<\/p>\n
\n\tAsia, excluding China, recorded a stainless crude steel production of 6.5 mmt during quarters 1\u20133 of 2013, corresponding to a year-over-year decrease of 1.4%. The development of this region shows a mixed picture ranging from +5% (India) to -6% (Taiwan, China). In the PR of China stainless steel production increased by 1.9 mmt or +15.7% to 13.7 mmt during the first nine months in comparison to 2012. China now accounts for roughly half of global production.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe development of Western Europe\/Africa was distinctly different with a year-over-year decrease of 5.6% (-0.336 mmt) and a total stainless steel production of 5.7 mmt for the first nine months of 2013. Here too the development is heterogeneous, fluctuating from +1 to +3% in Belgium and France, to double digit negative values in Italy and Germany, with the UK trailing behind at -15%.<\/p>\n
\n\tStainless steel production in the Americas for the first three quarters of 2013 is stable in comparison to last year at 1.8 mmt, with an upward trend during this period. Central and Eastern Europe display a strong growth at +8% and 0.30 mmt, up from 0.27 mmt.<\/p>\n