Global crude stainless steel production rose 5.5% to 28 million mt in the first nine months of 2013, helped by a record third-quarter high of 9.3 million mt, according to International Stainless Steel Forum data on Feb 4th.

The biggest growth was in China, where nine-month production rose 15.7% year on year to 13.7 million mt.

Indian output rose 5%, but Asia overall, excluding China, saw a fall of 1.4% to 6.5 million mt. Taiwanese output dropped 6%.

The Western Europe/Africa region tracked by ISSF saw nine-month output fall 5.6% to 5.7 million mt, with increased output in Belgium and France.

Nine-month stainless steel production in the Americas was stable at 1.8 million mt, with an upward trend through the period.

Global output in the first nine months of last year was about the same as full-year production in 2007, before output collapsed in 2008 and 2009, data showed.