Russia Stainless Steel imports rise 10% m-o-m in July: Spetsstal
Steel News | 2012-08-30 07:42:48
Russia's stainless steel product imports increased by 10% month-on-month to 21,160 metric tons (mt) in July, as per the latest data issued by the Russian Special Steel and Alloys Consumers and Suppliers Association (Spetsstal).
By Paul Ploumis
MOSCOW (Scrap Monster): Russia's stainless steel product imports increased by 10% month-on-month to 21,160 metric tons (mt) in July, as per the latest data issued by the Russian Special Steel and Alloys Consumers and Suppliers Association (Spetsstal).
The increase was due to the rise in imports of stainless steel flat rolled products and welded tubes by 24% and 10.4% respectively, month on month. Supplies of other kinds of stainless steel products decreased in the range of 7.4% to 29%.
According to an expert estimate made by SpetsStal Association, in 2011 Russian companies imported 31,387 mt of stainless steel tubes, including 14,796 mt of seamless and 16,591 mt of welded tubes.
SpetsStal noted that Russia's domestic output of stainless steel seamless tubes in 2011 amounted to 13,494 mt, while domestic output of stainless welded tubes in the given year was 9,701 mt.
In 2013, competition in the Russian stainless steel tube market is expected to become more intense due to imports of cheaper tubes from China, the Ukraine and the EU, as stated by SpetsStal.
