EU apparent steel consumption fell by 0.3 percent year on year in the fourth quarter of 2017, while total apparent steel consumption over the full year of 2017 increased by 1.3 percent compared to the previous year, according to the Economic and Steel Market Outlook 2018-2019/Q2 2018 Report from the Economic Committee of the European Steel Association (EUROFER).
The EUROFER report indicated that preliminary estimates for the first quarter of the current year signal that apparent consumption may have risen by 1.6 percent year on year.
According to EUROFER, the prospects for a continued recovery in EU steel demand are positive. The expected strength of most steel-using sectors bodes well for the demand side of the EU steel market. However, the supply-side situation could be negatively affected by import distortions.