BIR Autumn Roundtables: Stainless Production Falls Short of Expectations

The scale of China’s stainless steel scrap usage will remain dependent on the LME (London Metals Exchange) nickel price, according to the guest speaker at the Bureau of International Recycling’s (BIR) Stainless Steel & Special Alloys Round-Table in Munich held in late October. Sven Tollin, chief statistician at the Portugal-based International Nickel Study Group (INSG), charted the steep rise in China’s nickel pig iron (NPI) production – from zero in 2005 to around 170,000 metric tons in 2010 – and also the “enormous” decline in the country’s stainless scrap imports from approaching 380,000 metric tons in 2009 to nearer 80,000 metric tons last year. NPI became a preferred option in China when LME nickel prices were higher than, typically, around $20,000 per metric ton, it was suggested

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BIR Autumn Roundtables: Stainless Production Falls Short of Expectations