There are several different figures presented to public by authorities and by analysts with regard to the crude stainless steel production in China in 2011.
The figures recently given by China Special Steel Committee were 12.6 million tonnes, up by 12% from 2010, a record high level, while China Stainless Steel Distributors Association made public 15.75 million tonnes, up by 12.5% from 2010.
According to Macquarie, well known for its intensive analysis of the data regarding nickel, stainless steel etc, China's 2011 production was 14.3 million tonnes (up by 17% from 2010) and CSSC's figures were rather understating. Eramet's estimate mentioned in its report of December 2011 was 12.96 million tonnes.
The difference of the production by source of publication is widening as China's SUS production scale becomes bigger. Due to the very influentially big status of China, holding 40% to 45% share in the global stainless steel production, it is desired that exact figures be made publicized based on precise survey, as it definitely affects the market of the metals related to stainless steel such as nickel and chrome, although it is not easy, as known, to do the precise survey in China, where there are so many small scale local producers whose production records are hard to grasp in most cases.