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According to data released by the World Steel Association, global crude steel output reached 459.2 million tons in the first quarter of 2026, a year-on-year decrease of 2.3%, with production showing obvious divergence across regions and major steel-producing countries worldwide. On April 29, the Stainless Steel Branch of the China Iron and Steel Association released statistics on the crude steel output, import and export volume, and apparent consumption of stainless steel in Chinese mainland for Q1 2026. China’s stainless steel output and domestic demand maintained steady growth, while import and export volume dropped sharply, presenting a differentiated pattern between domestic and overseas demand. 1. Regional Crude Steel Output Performance Worldwide Global steel production varied greatly by region in the first quarter. Output increased year-on-year in Africa, other European countries and North America: Africa’s crude steel output stood at 6.3 million tons, up 7.4% year-on-year; other European countries recorded 10.9 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.9%; North America produced 27.5 million tons of crude steel, rising 2.3% year-on-year. Most regions saw a year-on-year production decline. The output of Asia and Oceania totaled 341.7 million tons, down 2.2% year-on-year; the EU 27 countries produced 31.7 million tons, a drop of 2.6%; the Middle East registered 12 million tons, falling sharply by 9.3%; Russia and other CIS countries (including Ukraine) reached 18.9 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 9.8%; South America’s crude steel output was 10.2 million tons, down slightly by 1.9%. 2. Crude Steel Output of Major Global Countries Major steel-producing countries showed a clear split in production growth and decline. China’s crude steel output hit 247.6 million tons in Q1 2026, down 4.6% year-on-year, becoming a major factor weighing on the output decline in Asia. On the growth side, India’s crude steel output was 44.7 million tons, surging 10.8% year-on-year; Vietnam’s estimated output reached 6.4 million tons with a 10% year-on-year increase, leading the global growth. Besides, the United States (21 million tons, +5.7%), Germany (9.3 million tons, +9.0%), Turkey (9.7 million tons, +5.3%) and South Korea (15.8 million tons, +1.8%) all achieved production growth. For production reduction countries, Russia’s crude steel output was 15.8 million tons, plunging 10.7% year-on-year; Japan’s output was 20.1 million tons, down 1.7%; Brazil produced 8.1 million tons, a year-on-year drop of 3.1%. 3. Operation of China’s Stainless Steel Industry in Q1 2026 3.1 Production: Total Output Rises with Optimized Product Structure China’s total crude stainless steel output amounted to 9.852 million tons in Q1 2026, an increase of 414,000 tons or 4.39% year-on-year. By product category: Chromium-nickel (Cr-Ni) stainless steel output was 4.873 million tons, down 27,000 tons (-0.55% YoY), accounting for 49.47% of the total, with its market share dropping by 2.46 percentage points year-on-year; Chromium-manganese (Cr-Mn) stainless steel output reached 2.974 million tons, up 332,000 tons (+12.58% YoY), accounting for 30.18% of the total, with its share rising by 2.19 percentage points; Chromium (Cr-only) stainless steel output was 1.891 million tons, an increase of 108,000 tons (+6.05% YoY), taking up 19.19% of the total, up 0.3 percentage points; Duplex stainless steel output was 113,965 tons, a year-on-year increase of 1,479 tons or 1.31%. 3.2 Foreign Trade: Sharp Drop in Imports and Exports, Plunging Net Exports China’s stainless steel imports and exports both declined significantly in Q1. The total import volume was 375,700 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 75,200 tons, down 16.67%; The total export volume was 794,800 tons, dropping by 431,200 tons year-on-year, a decline of 35.17%; Net exports stood at 419,100 tons, a year-on-year reduction of 356,100 tons, down 45.94%, reflecting obvious weakness in overseas market demand. 3.3 Consumption: Domestic Demand Continues to Recover Driven by improving domestic market demand, China’s apparent consumption of stainless steel reached 8.494 million tons in Q1 2026, a year-on-year increase of 732,000 tons or 9.44%, supported by solid downstream domestic demand. # crudesteel #duplexstainlesssteel #chinastainlesssteel #chinaexportstainlesssteel