Stainless Steel Market Overview
The market for stainless steel is forecasted to increase from 42.6 MMT(million metric tons) in 2018 to 47.2 MMT in 2021 at a CAGR of 3 percent. The increase in urbanization and modernization globally are the main reasons for this growth. Moreover, the growth in the automotive industry along with the growing demand for energy and water will likely maintain the demand for stainless steel in the near future. The key driver of the stainless steel industry is the increasing demand from downstream industries such as agriculture, processing industry, consumer products, and construction industry.
Stainless Steel - Global Market Analysis
- Asia would continue to dominate the market in terms of growth prospects until 2019
- China's production of crude stainless steel totaled 26.7 million tons in 2018, higher by 933,000 tons or 3.6% on year
- In the Americas, the demand for stainless steel was at 3.97 MMT for 2017, driven by higher investments in the automotive and manufacturing sector
- Stainless steel production in the US reached 3.28 million metric tons in 2017 and is estimated to increase with a CAGR of 2-3%
- About 72 percent of the global stainless steel demand during 2017 was from Asia (27.04 MMT). This was driven by robust growth due to solid infrastructure and property sectors
Stainless Steel - Regional Market Outlook
- The market size in the APAC region was at 27.04 MMT in 2017 and is expected to grow at 3 percent between 2017 and 2019
- Growth in the consumption of chemical/petrochemical and energy, consumer goods and medical and automotive and heavy transport mainly contributed to the increase in consumption in APAC
- Growth of stainless steel industry in America was mainly impacted by the continuation of strong dollar and weak-exporting demand for the year 2017
- In the EU, stainless steel consumption was valued at 7.3 MMT in 2017, an increase of 4.4 percent from 6.99 MMT in 2016
Why should you buy this report
The report includes an analysis of the cost structure in the stainless steel market, wherein the major expense is caused due to raw materials and electricity, which accounts for nearly 65-85 percent of the entire cost. The report further covers the price trend and forecast across different regions such as the U.S., Europe, and Asia. The risk analysis mentioned in the report gives a detailed analysis of the various risks associated with the stainless steel market ranging from fluctuations in supplier pricing, overpaying, etc.
Methodology for writing this Report
Beroe gathers intelligence through primary sources that include industry experts, researchers, and consultants, as well as current suppliers, producers and distributors. Secondary sources can include business journals, newsletters, magazines, market research data, company sources, and industry associations. Following data collation, analysis, and strategic review, the Final Research Report is published on Beroe LiVE.
Stainless Steel Market Trends
Category Intelligence on Stainless Steel covers the following
- Information relating to market, supply, cost, and pricing analysis
- Hard to find data on cost and TCO models, supplier details, and performance benchmarks
- Macroeconomic and regional trends impacting cost, supply, and other market dynamics
- Category-specific negotiation and sourcing advice
Stainless Steel Market Drivers and Constraints
Worldwide crude stainless steel production, in 2019, reached an all-time high total of more than 52.2 million tonnes. This represents an increase of almost 3 percent, compared with the year earlier figure. Due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, global output will decrease by approximately 10 percent, in 2020, to a total of around 46.8 million tonnes
Stainless Steel Market Drivers
Downstream Demand
Increasing demand from downstream industries, such as agriculture, processing industry, consumer products, construction industry, is expected to be the primary driver of stainless steel industry
Need for Cost Reduction
Increased focus on reducing the total ownership cost of stainless steel-making process has led to the adoption of newer technologies and the use of more energy-efficient fabrication and manufacturing processes
Technological Advancements
Development of newer technologies is driven by the need to attain lower cycle times in the manufacturing process. Suppliers in emerging economies are rapidly adopting technologies to improve efficiency and increase the production capacities
Stainless Steel Constraints
Lower Profit Margins
For the past 12–18 months, steel suppliers are experiencing lower margins, due to the falling prices. Suppliers are also susceptible to commodity price fluctuations, against which they cannot hedge, due to relatively smaller period of contracts
Logistics Cost
Steel and its products have high logistics costs. The Baltic Dry Index acts as an indicator of measuring logistic costs of dry bulk category, such as steel. Increased logistics cost impacts the import of raw material and increases the domestic and landing cost of steel
Raw Material Supply
The steel industry has been facing a shortage of graphite electrode, owing to paucity of needle coke in China. This is due to stringent measures adopted by the authorities, in order to curtail pollution levels. Around 226,000 tons of electrodes are consumed every year in the EU. More than 60% of the smaller LF-type rods come from China. Consequently, both primary and secondary steel production could be adversely affected in Europe
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Stainless steel makers are opting for mergers and acquisitions to gain access to new technologies, to reduce the time to market for the services and to enter new markets in terms of geography and service
- The number of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the global steel industry rose by 19 percent to 115 deals in 2015 from 97 deals in 2014
