World Bureau of Metal Statistics

The 2021 edition of Annual Stainless Steel Statistics has recently been published, this report contains detailed production, trade and use time series for over 100 countries for the last 20 years. This publication started in the 1980s and country production data is available separately back to 1950. The charts below show the data by region for production and use in 2020 and 2019.

The most recent metal balances report shows the primary aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, nickel and tin metal balances were in deficit during January to June 2021. Read on to unpack the latest update on the LME metals balances.

After looking at the raw materials chrome and moly in the last two editions we will complete the set with a review of nickel in this issue. We will look at the two main stages of nickel processing: – mine production and then smelter/refinery production, which is the product which is shipped to stainless producers and other users. Stainless accounts for well over half of all nickel production.