The best market regulator is the market itself

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Despite the objective reasons to the falling consumption, Russian traders keep favoring flat-rolled imports that only fell 32.1%. A much sharper decline is observed in imports of other stainless steel products. To compare, imports of stainless steel long products fell 79.1%, wire – 46%, seamless tubes – 64.3%, welded tubes – 46.1%, billets – 47.1%.

Russia’s stainless steel exports in January 2009, if compared to December 2008, fell 54% to 0.186 thousand tons.

It is worth noticing that a sharp fall touched also Russia’s exports of stainless steel scrap. In December 2008, Russian exporters shipped 4.76 thousand tons of stainless steel scrap while in January 2009 the export volume fell 97.4% to 0.118 thousand tons.

The principle ‘first, do no harm’ is very much applicable to the Russia market for stainless steel and should be adopted by the Russian government who more often tends towards rapid-fire decision-making on raising import duties or cutting imports by setting blocking-off quotas.

Within the frames of the preparation for the forthcoming International Conference ‘Stainless Steel Exports & Imports’, Spetsstal is running a poll named ‘Conditions for Exporting Stainless Steel to Russia’. We would be grateful if you would take part in the poll and share your opinion with us.

All respondents will be informed by email on the general results of the poll. Your answers will be kept strictly confidential and accounted only in the final results.

The final results will be presented to the Russian Government, ISSF and EUROFER.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE PART IN THE POLL