According to the latest 'Bi-Monthly Stainless Steel Briefing March 2013' report issued by Germany-based service centre Damstahl, in 2012 European stainless crude steel production amounted to 7.4 million mt, falling two percent compared to 2011. In the fourth quarter of last year, European crude steel production increased to 1.7 million mt compared to the 1.6 million mt in the third quarter, and fell six percent compared to the corresponding period of 2011. Damstahl noted that it is expected that the stainless steel crude steel production will continue to fall in Germany due to the planned closure of melting in Krefeld until the end of 2013.
According to the report, the stainless steel market in Europe remained sluggish at the beginning of 2013, while the demand from end-users showed little signs of life in February. The beginning of a recovery in Asia (mainly China) and continuous strength in North America constitute the main hope for European fabricators.
Meanwhile, Damstahl said that in 2013 the market situation in the six Damstahl countries (Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden) may be better than in the rest of Europe as the countries in question consist mostly of export-oriented economies, namely, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Slovenia. Markets with a negative growth this year include Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and perhaps also France. Consumer goods (including automotive) will remain subdued throughout the year, whilst the demand from the building and construction sectors will grow. The process equipment sector has made a weak start to the year, but is expected to recover substantially after the summer. The projects in the chemical and petrochemical industry which will be commissioned in 2014 are expected to increase stainless steel demand at least six months prior to commissioning.
