Global Crude Stainless Steel Output Rises 5% Year-on-Year in H1 2026: Asia Leads Recovery Amid Widening Regional Divergence
On August 27, 2026, the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) officially released global stainless steel production statistics for the first half of 2026. The data shows that global crude stainless steel output reached 32.964 million tonnes in H1 2026, representing a 5% year‑on‑year increase compared with the same period of 2025. This solid growth figure not only signals that the global stainless steel industry has successfully stabilized after earlier volatility, but also reflects sound resilience in global manufacturing and infrastructure demand during the first half of the year.
By region, the pattern of stronger output in the East and weaker performance in the West for global stainless steel capacity has become more pronounced, with Asia remaining the core driving force of worldwide stainless steel production. In the first half of the year, Asia’s crude stainless steel output hit 28.30 million tonnes, up 6.1% year‑on‑year and outpacing all other regions by a wide margin. China, the world’s largest stainless steel producer, delivered an outstanding performance. Its H1 stainless steel output stood at 21.068 million tonnes, rising 7.1% year‑on‑year. The robust expansion of China’s production has greatly lifted overall Asian growth and made a decisive contribution to the rise in global total output. The growth is underpinned by stainless steel demand from emerging domestic sectors such as new energy and high‑end equipment manufacturing, as well as positive efforts by local steel mills in cost control and capacity release.
By contrast, Europe and the United States posted clearly divergent results. The European Union produced 2.913 million tonnes of crude stainless steel in H1, a slight year‑on‑year decline of 3.7%, pointing to certain downward pressure. This may stem from persistent energy cost burdens, sluggish macroeconomic recovery and weak demand in traditional manufacturing across Europe. The US market, however, registered a moderate recovery. Its H1 output amounted to 1.147 million tonnes, increasing 3.2% year‑on‑year, indicating gradual repair of its domestic supply chain. Meanwhile, combined output from other countries and regions reached 0.597 million tonnes in the first half, climbing 2.9% year‑on‑year and remaining generally stable.
Overall, driven strongly by Asia, especially China, the global stainless steel market achieved steady production expansion in H1 2026. Nevertheless, alongside rising global output, regional imbalances and potential structural shifts in demand still warrant vigilance. Looking ahead to the second half of the year, as the traditional consumption peak arrives, whether the supply‑demand balance of the global stainless steel market can improve further and how prices will move will remain key focal points for the industry and observers.