The European crude stainless steel output totaled around 1.4 million tons in the first two months of this year, decreasing slightly by 1% year on year, according to report of the Germany-based steel service center Damstahl.

The combined production in Germany, Sweden and Slovenia totaled around 300,000 tons, in comparison of 400,000 tons in the same period of a year ago.

Meanwhile, the report indicated that the European stainless steel market remained depressed. In the first quarter of this year, the demand from end-users and stockiest remained below the level in 2012.