The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has announced that stainless crude steel production for the first nine months of 2005 was 18.4 million metric tons (mmt). This is a rise of 1.1% compared to the same period in 2004. Asia is the only region to show positive growth over the first nine months of 2005. Asia has produced 9.4 mmt of crude stainless steel, a rise of 7.8% on the first nine months of 2004. Driving forces were China and India. Other Asian producers are showing flat or lower production figures. Stainless steel production in the Western Europe/Africa region was 6.7 mmt for the first three quarters of 2005. This is 4.8% lower than for the same period of 2004. The Americas have produced 2.1 million tons of crude stainless steel for the first three quarters of 2005. This is a decline of 5.4% compared to the first nine months of 2004. Production also fell in the Central and Eastern Europe region. Production was 191,000 metric tons for the first three quarters, a drop of 16.3% compared to the same period of 2004.
