According to data from the World Stainless Association, global stainless steel melt shop production totaled 17.24 million tons in the second quarter of 2026, marking a year-on-year growth of 7.6%.
In Q2, China's stainless crude steel output reached 11.22 million tons, up 9.7% compared with the same period a year earlier. Asia produced 14.87 million tons, an increase of 8.7%; the United States produced 580,000 tons, up 4.1%; and Europe produced 1.499 million tons, up 0.5%. Output from other regions came to 292,000 tons, down 1% year on year.
In the first half of 2026, global stainless steel production amounted to 32.964 million tons, a year-on-year rise of 5%. China accounted for 21.068 million tons of this total, up 7.1% from a year earlier.
