After steel mills hiked their prices, Taiwan’s stainless steel export rates moved upward in January. While export volumes decreased to under 75,000 tons, the average price per ton recovered to over NT$77,100. On the contrary, import volumes grew by 11.3% month on month, reaching nearly 80,000 tons, though import prices dropped back below the NT$60,000 level.

Data showed a contrast between decreasing export quantities and rising values. Despite the increases in export pricing, the combination of lower shipment volumes and cheaper competing imports indicated continued operational pressure on manufacturers.