Stainless steel production in Russia increased in 2014

According to the data of the Association of Russia Special Steels, in 2014 the production of stainless steel products in the country increased by 11.4 percent at an annual level and amounted to 114,195 tons.

In particular, the output of flat hot-rolled products decreased by 26.7 percent to 24,955 tons, the production of flat cold-rolled products decreased by 47.5 percent to 8,116 tons, and the output of long steel products decreased by 0.7 percent to 52,740 tons, all data in comparison on an annualized basis.

At the same time, billet production rose 17.6 percent to 12,213 tons compared to last year. The pipe segment became the only one on the stainless steel market in 2014 where Russian producers increased their output. The production of seamless pipes increased by 4.6 percent, electric-welded pipes by almost 20.2 percent.

However, the consumption of stainless products in Russia during 2014 decreased compared to the previous year. In 2014, in general, the export of the main types of stainless products also decreased, including flat and long products, wire and electric-welded pipes, and the export of primary billets also decreased. At the same time, Russian exports of stainless seamless pipes have increased.

The Special Steels Association, assessing the prospects for 2015 based on the opinion of experts, believes that imports may decrease by 40 percent compared to last year, which in turn may lead to higher prices in the domestic market and a shortage of certain types of products.