Asian demand recovery is yet to start but Europe shows the way

摘要

As expected, stainless steel purchasing increased in August in both the USA and, to a surprising extent, Western Europe, as distributors sought to secure material in advance of the higher prices and end-user demand to come. In what is normally a quiet month in the south of Europe - where stainless buyers and their suppliers tend to head for the delights of Bavaria or the Iberian and Mediterranean coasts - business was surprisingly robust in August, particularly during the last two weeks.