Global stainless steel production was estimated at 55 million tonnes in 2019, with the market growing around 5% a year. At a production yield of about 86%, that equated to just over 46Mt of traded semi-finished and finished products.
Flat products dominate
Flat products accounted for the largest share - 39Mt, or 84% of the total. That reflects the wide range of applications for sheet in domestic and industrial use: cutlery and utensils, appliances, automotive exhausts, sinks and welded tubes. China dominates both production and consumption of these increasingly commoditised flat products, with several emerging producers claiming cost leadership through captive power, domestic nickel-bearing ores and innovative process configurations.
Long products
Long products made up a smaller share - 7Mt, or 16% of the total - predominantly peeled or bright bar, with smaller amounts as profiled bar, wire and seamless tube. Chinese and Asian producers dominate, though several European producers remain in the top 20 by volume (Alleima, Cogne, Outokumpu, Valbruna, Acerinox, Schmolz & Bickenbach). We are Alleima's partner for their duplex and super duplex stainless steels in the UK and North America.
Higher-performance grades are a small share
As with flat products, standard 3xx and 4xx grades dominate. Duplex, super duplex and super austenitic grades make up only 5% of global production, with just over half of that being duplex. That puts the total market for higher-performance stainless grades at about 350kt a year, and perhaps closer to 100kt for super duplex stainless steels. In that context, we are a significant supplier of these specialist grades worldwide.
Market prospects
For the year ahead, consumer goods and catering equipment (almost all flat products) were projected to stay flat, with strong falls in Europe balanced by modest growth in emerging markets. The automotive market was generally negative, as the rise of electric vehicles removes stainless steel's main automotive applications - exhausts, fuel tanks and fuel inlet tubing. Infrastructure was the one segment expected to grow, from a lower base, as stainless steel continues to find favour in architectural and structural use. The industrial markets tied to heavy engineering, chemical, petrochemical and energy production were projected to remain stable.
Our stock position
Applications for super duplex stainless steels are spread widely by geography and end use, which suits a specialist supplier. From our warehouses in the UK and Houston in the USA, we hold stock close to customers in the main consuming markets. What matters is the range of sizes and the amount available ex-stock in each. Because we focus on these grades, we carry stock from 1/2" (12.7mm) to 16" (406.4mm) diameter, typically with several tonnes of each size available in each of the following:
- 2205 (S32205, F51, 1.4462, S31803, F60)
- SAF2507 (S32750, F53, 1.4410)
- 32760 (S32760, F55, 1.4501, Zeron 100®)
- Ferralium® 255 (S32550, F61, 1.4507)
We also stock the following super austenitic stainless steels:
- Fermonic® 50 (S20910, 1.3964, XM19, Nitronic® 50)
- Fermonic® 60 (S21800, Nitronic 60)
Credit: the figures here are sourced from SMR GmbH, a headline presenter at Stainless Steel World 2019 in Maastricht, 25-27 November.
| Product form | Share of 2019 global market |
|---|---|
| Flat products | 84% (39Mt) |
| Long products | 16% (7Mt) |
| Higher-performance grades (duplex/super duplex/super austenitic) | ~5% of total production |