Demand for steel in Romania will face serious challenges in 2026 Romania has low per capita steel consumption compared to the industrially developed countries of the European Union. This indicates significant potential for the local market, which has been stagnant in recent years. Even post-COVID government economic stimulus programs have not led to a surge in steel demand in 2021–2022, unlike in Poland, Italy, Germany, Turkey, and a number of other countries. The situation may deteriorate significantly in 2026. Market profile Importers are gradually taking over the Romanian steel market amid problems faced by local producers. First and foremost is the Galati steelworks, the only flat steel producer owned by the British company Liberty Steel Group. The financial difficulties of the parent company GFG Alliance led to months of downtime at the Liberty ...

The projects are expected to improve the region's industrial ecosystem   Indian steelmaker Tata Steel and the government of Jharkhand signed a letter of intent and memorandum of understanding at the World Economic Forum in Davos to invest more than 11.1 billion rupees ($1.2 billion) in cutting-edge green steel technology in the region. This was reported by The Statesman. The proposed investments include the introduction of advanced iron production technologies such as HISARNA and EASyMelt. The former allows the use of local coal and low-grade iron ore, while significantly reducing carbon emissions in combination with carbon capture systems. Following successful pilot tests in the Netherlands, Tata Steel plans to build an industrial facility with a capacity of about 1 million tons per year in Jamshedpur by 2030. EASyMelt technology, the fir...

Imports fell by 11% last year China increased its steel exports by 7.5% year-on-year in 2025 to a record 119.02 million tons, according to the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), citing customs data. In December, Chinese metallurgists exported 11.3 million tons of steel, which is 13.2% more than in the previous month. The average price of these exports was 679.7/ton (-2.3% month-on-month). Steel imports to the country in January-December 2025 amounted to 6.06 million tons, down 11.1% year-on-year. In December, the figure was 517 thousand tons (+4.2% month-on-month). The average price of these imports was $1,810.3/t (+11% month-on-month). At the same time, China increased its ore imports by 1.8% year-on-year last year to 1.26 billion tons. These volumes have been growing for the third year in a row. In December, the figure was 119.64 million tons, w...

The Ministry of Trade has published preliminary rates for producers from Algeria, Egypt, and Vietnam The US has set preliminary countervailing duties (CVD) for rebar producers from Algeria, Egypt, and Vietnam—the three largest suppliers of this product to the country before the tariffs were introduced in March 2025. This was reported by Argus Media. The US Department of Commerce has confirmed the following countervailing duty rates (for all steel producers from the countries listed) Vietnam – 1.08%, Egypt – 29.51%, Algeria – 72.94%. Compensation and anti-dumping investigations into rebar from these three countries, as well as Bulgaria, were launched in June last year by the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration (ITA). The review period is 2024. Egypt was the largest source of import...

Regulatory restrictions should curb excess capacity, but the effect on global prices remains uncertain China will continue to strictly regulate steel production and prohibit the emergence of illegal new capacities in the period 2026-2030. The decision was confirmed as part of the preparation of the Five-Year Development Plan for the industry, Reuters reports. The restrictions, first introduced in 2021 to reduce CO2 emissions, were also a response to the prolonged decline in domestic demand caused by the crisis in the real estate market and chronic oversupply. In the first 11 months of 2025, steel production in China fell by 4% year-on-year, and the annual figure is estimated to fall below 1 billion tons for the first time in six years. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) emphasizes that the raw materials industry, including steelmaking, is fac...

Regulatory changes were a key factor in the European market The global market for hot-rolled coil experienced moderate pressure in 2025. Despite an upward trend at the end of the year, average annual prices for products fell by 5-12%. The exception is the US, where the indicator rose by an average of 11.1% over the year. Europe In the EU market, average annual prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) declined in most key regions. In Western Europe, the indicator fell by 4.6% compared to 2024, amounting to €603.2/t Ex works. As of mid-December, offers in the region are €620/t Ex works, which is 9.3% more than in December 2024 and 1.6% more than in the previous month. This level has been maintained since the beginning of the month and is the highest since the beginning of June. In Italy, the average annual figure for 2025 is €578.4/t Ex works, which is 7% ...