Stainless steel imports to Russia keep up rising

Stainless steel imports to Russia keep up rising. SpetsStal Association has published the latest figures of stainless steel imports to Russia. According to its appraisal, stainless steel imports in the 1st quarter 2011, compared with the same period 2010, rose 37.6% to 48,064 tons that exceeded the before-crisis level of 2008. Imports of stainless steel slabs and ingots increased 3.8 times while imports of stainless steel flats got a 20% augmentation. Imports of stainless steel long products and wire went up 127% and 115% respectively. Imports of stainless steel tubes did also improve. Stainless steel seamless tubes got up 51.6% while stainless steel welded tubes received +30.7%. Experts assert that this substantial rise in stainless steel imports was due to a demand increase on the part of end-users and also because of the limited product range offered by Russian stainless steel producers. The structure of stainless steel imports in Jan-Mar 2011 was shaped, for the most part, by flats with a share of 62.4% (in Q1 2010 - 71.7%) out of the aggregate imported volume, followed by longs – 17.9% (10.9%), welded tubes – 8.5% (6.1%), seamless tubes – 6.7% (9.0%), wire – 3.2% (2.0%) and slabs/ingots/billets – 1.2% (0.3%). A detailed picture of the Russian stainless steel market will be drawn at the upcoming International Conference 'Stainless Steel: Technologies - Equipment - Products' which will take place in Moscow Radisson Slavanskaya Hotel on 26 May 2011.