With a y–o–y growth of 3.0% Asia (without China) produced 2.2 mmt. Japan and South Korea recorded increases of 9.5% and 3.5% respectively. India and Taiwan, China were negative with –2.6% and –3.6% respectively. Stainless steel production in China increased by 11.1% to 5.1 mmt y–o–y. China produces about half of the world’s stainless steel.

Production in Western Europe and Africa increased by 0.2% to 2.2 mmt. France increased by 10.1%, but Germany declined by 18.9%, Italy by 2.4% and Austria by 2.0%.

Production increased by 11.9% to 0.7 mmt in the Americas and by 5.5% to 0.1 mmt in Central and Eastern Europe.

Table 1: Stainless and heat-resisting melt shop steel production [000 metric tons]

Region	Quarter			+/- %
	1/2013	4/2013	1/2014	q-o-q	y-o-y
Western Europe/Africa	2,157	1,813	2,160	19.2%	0.2%
Central/Eastern Europe	67r	80r	71	-11.5%	5.5%
The Americas	598	630	670	6.2%	11.9%
Asia (w/o China)	2,170	2,301	2,234	-2.9%	3.0%
China	4,575	4,809	5,084	5.7%	11.1%
Total	9,568r	9,633r	10,219	6.1%	6.8%

r=revised