Stainless steel output grows worldwide, powered by China — EU falls 3.7%

Global stainless steel melt shop production rose 5% year on year in the first half of 2026, reaching 33.0 million tonnes, according to figures released by the World Stainless Association (worldstainless). The increase, however, masks a widening gap between regions: while Asia — and China in particular — continued to expand output, the European Union recorded the only regional decline.

Asia and China lead the advance

Asian producers accounted for the bulk of global output, reaching 28.3 million tonnes in the first six months of 2026, up 6.1% from 26.7 million tonnes in the same period last year. China alone produced 21.06 million tonnes, a 7.1% increase, cementing its position as the industry's primary growth engine.

The European Union goes against the grain

The picture in Europe was markedly different. EU stainless steel output fell 3.7% to 2.91 million tonnes, down from 3.02 million tonnes in the first half of 2025 — the only region worldwide to post a decline over the period.

The United States and other producers post modest gains

Production in the United States increased 3.2% to 1.15 million tonnes. The group comprising Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom grew 2.9%, reaching 597,000 tonnes.

Momentum builds in the second quarter

The divergence sharpened in the second quarter of the year. Global melt shop production reached 17.24 million tonnes in Q2 2026, up almost 7.7% year on year, with China posting particularly strong growth of 9.8% to 11.22 million tonnes — both faster than the pace recorded for the first half as a whole.

Source: worldstainless (World Steel Association). Full regional data is available on the this page: https://worldstainless.org/data/stainless-steel-meltshop-production

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