Stainless steel pricing consists of base price plus alloy surcharges for nickel and molybdenum. Key market drivers in Europe are nickel prices, alloy premiums, EU steel import quotas and CBAM carbon costs. Core trend this week: **end-user demand remains weak, yet import quotas are exhausted quickly, creating tight supply for stainless bars and seamless tubes. Alloy surcharges for molybdenum-bearing grades (316 / duplex) have been raised; more trade remedy investigations are launched for cold rolled sheets.**

For foreign trade & steel business reference, focusing on grade 304. It covers major global regions, cost drivers, supply-demand balance and market outlook.