Explore the factors influencing the price of 316 stainless steel, including market demand, raw material costs, and global economic conditions, with prices typically ranging from $2,000 to $3,500 per ton. Learn how elements like nickel and molybdenum, along with geopolitical factors and sustainability trends, impact pricing in this comprehensive overview.

Steel decreased 101 Yuan/MT or 3.05% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Steel - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

China Transaction Price: 36 City Avg: Stainless Steel: 2.0, 304/2B Cold Roll data was reported at 15,230.620 RMB/Ton in Jan 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15,328.450 RMB/Ton for Dec 2024. China Transaction Price: 36 City Avg: Stainless Steel: 2.0, 304/2B Cold Roll data is updated monthly, averaging 16,547.000 RMB/Ton from Dec 2011 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 158 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22,569.000 RMB/Ton in Jan 2012 and a record low of 13,381.000 RMB/Ton in Dec 2015. China Transaction Price: 36 City Avg: Stainless Steel: 2.0, 304/2B Cold Roll data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Price Monitoring Center, NDRC. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Price – Table CN.PA: Price Monitoring Center, NDRC: 36 City Monthly Avg: Transaction Price: Production Material.

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of Stainless Steel (316) in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).

The price of Forged Stainless Steel Bar in June 2023 was $8,135 per ton (FOB, Germany), marking a 2.4% increase compared to the previous month.

The stainless steel prices in the United States for Q3 2024 reached 3985 USD/MT in September. The USA faced rise in prices driven by robust demand for stainless steel from sectors like automotive and construction. Despite challenges like increased imports and global market uncertainties, the pricing environment displayed strong upward momentum.

Explore IMARC’s newly published report, titled “Stainless Steel Prices, Trend, Chart, Demand, Market Analysis, News, Historical and Forecast Data Report 2025 Edition,” offers an in-depth analysis of stainless steel pricing, covering an analysis of global and regional market trends and the critical factors driving these price movements.

Explore the various factors influencing the price per ton of stainless steel, including market demand, production costs, geopolitical events, and technological advancements. Stay informed on how raw material prices and environmental regulations impact this crucial industry material's cost dynamics.

In July 2022, the stainless steel angle price amounted to $4,177 per ton (FOB, India), with an increase of 15% against the previous month.

In January 2023, the forged stainless steel bar price amounted to $6,948 per ton (CIF, United Kingdom), reducing by -7.8% against the previous month.

In December 2022, the stainless steel angle price decreased by -44.5% to $1,322 per ton (CIF, Mexico) compared to the previous month.

In the second quarter of financial year 2025, the cost of a 16 mm steel bar in the Indian cities of Chennai and Hyderabad reached 66 Indian rupees per kilogram. However, in Delhi, the steel was slightly more affordable. Compared to the previous year, there was a noticeable increase in steel prices across all cities. The significant uptick in the cost of steel in India towards the end of 2020, was believed to be a result of China’s increased demand for Indian iron ore. Crude steel India’s crude steel production has been growing steadily, with the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) being the preferred production method. While both private and public sector companies contribute to this production, the private sector, dominates the market. JSW Steel, in particular, has the highest production capacity in India, contributing significantly to the country’s position as the world’s second-largest producer of steel. Steel consumption in India Steel consumption in India has been on a steady rise, with the country’s rapid industrialization and development in sectors such as construction, automobile, and infrastructure. This upward trend in steel consumption is estimated to persist, with an annual growth rate of nine percent in fiscal year 2024.

HRC Steel increased 180.96 USD/T or 25.52% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for HRC Steel.

In July 2022, the stainless steel seamless pipe price stood at $5,138 per ton (CIF, India), flattening at the previous month.

In 2024, the United States' stainless steel exports amounted to approximately 542,730 metric tons, up from 361,810 metric tons registered in the previous year. The export volume of the country decreased by 39 percent between 2014 and 2024.

In 2024, the United States' stainless steel producz imports amounted to approximately 917,000 metric tons, up from around 830,000 metric tons registered in the previous year. The import volume of the country decreased by 14 percent between 2014 and 2024.

The average hot-rolled round stainless steel import price stood at $5,479 per ton in July 2024, waning by -20.4% against the previous month.

In November 2022, stainless steel seamless pipe prices decreased by -19.9%, amounting to $3,695 per ton (CIF, India), compared to the previous month.

Graph and download economic data for Producer Price Index by Commodity: Metals and Metal Products: Iron and Steel (WPU101) from Jan 1926 to Feb 2025 about iron, steel, metals, commodities, PPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

The price of Stainless Steel Angle reached $5,120 per ton (FOB, Japan) in April 2023, showing a 184% increase compared to the previous month.

In May 2024, the price of one metric ton of nickel stood at some 19,586.98 U.S. dollars. In comparison, in December 2016, the price of nickel was just below 10,000 U.S. dollars per metric ton. Thus, the nickel price has increased considerably in recent years, though it continuously fluctuates. In the beginning of 2022, however, the price of nickel skyrocketed due to disruptions to supply chains and a wide scarcity of raw materials and metals. Overview of nickel Discovered in 1751, nickel is a base metal with a silvery-white lustrous appearance that has a slightly golden tinge. The metal is crucial for many global industries, especially, for example, for the production of stainless-steel. Nickel is highly corrosion-resistant and is used to plate other metals in order to protect them. Because of these useful traits, nickel is used in more than 300,000 products worldwide, spanning from architectural, industrial, military, transportation and aerospace, marine, currency, and consumer applications. Nickel price dynamics Though nickel is the fifth most abundant element found on Earth, as with any commodity, the price of nickel can vary widely depending on global market conditions. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, exports of nickel increased dramatically, dropping the price of nickel in the mid-1990s to below production costs. Nickel production in the Western Hemisphere was reduced during that period. Prices then increased again, up to a high of 52,179 U.S. dollars per metric ton in May 2007. Since then, nickel prices have decreased, and have remained between a low of 8,299 U.S. dollars per metric ton and a high of 18,584 U.S. dollars per metric ton between 2016 and 2021. It is forecast that the price of nickel will amount to more than 17,000 U.S. dollars per metric ton in 2025.