Posted on 04 Nov 2026
China's crude stainless steel output posted a significant rise on year during the first three quarters of this year, with the total tonnage climbing by 1.77 million tonnes or 5.9% on year to reach 32.04 million tonnes, according to the latest data released by the Stainless Steel Council of China Iron and Steel Association (CSSC).
Over January-September, production of all series of crude stainless steel increased by varying degrees, with the volume of 300-series reaching 16.5 million tonnes, accounting for 51.5% of the total, the release showed.
Production of high-end duplex stainless also increased during the first nine months of this year to reach 414,201 tonnes, jumping by 46,084 tonnes or 12.5% compared with the same period last year, according to CSSC's statistics.
In foreign trade, China exported 3.35 million tonnes of stainless products over January-September, falling by 432,000 tonnes or 11.4% on year, while the total import volume of stainless steel edged up 2,200 tonnes or 0.2% on year to 1.14 million tonnes, according to CSSC.
The statistics showed that China's stainless demand also improved during the first three quarters, with apparent consumption of stainless steel standing at 26.77 million tonnes, rising by 2.04 million tonnes or 8.2% on year.
China's stainless prices remained firm overall during January-September, mainly thanks to the strong cost support provided by higher prices of major stainless steelmaking raw materials such as nickel pig iron (NPI), Mysteel Global noted.
At the end of September, Mysteel assessed the spot price of 304/2B Hongwang 2*1240mm stainless cold-rolled coil in Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu province at Yuan 14,200/tonne ($2,128/t) in-warehouse and including the 13% VAT, higher by Yuan 1,050/t from the price on December 31 last year.
On September 30, Mysteel assessed the price of high-grade NPI with 7-13% nickel content in Jiangsu at Yuan 1,065/mtu including delivery and the 13% VAT, higher by Yuan 135/mtu compared with the end of last December.
Source:Mysteel Global
