In 2026, according to MPI forecasts, this figure will fall by 1% Steel consumption in China will reach approximately 808 million tons in 2025, down 5.4% year-on-year. This is according to a recent report by the China Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute (MPI), Kallanish reports. In 2026, annual rolled steel consumption will fall by 1% y/y to 800 million tons. The forecasts are based on a combination of steel consumption and consumption in the manufacturing industry. This year, according to MPI estimates, steel consumption in the construction sector has fallen by almost 13% to 400 million tons due to the situation in the real estate market. Demand related to this sector is expected to decline by 4.1% year-on-year in 2026, to 384 million tons. At the same time, demand for steel in the automotive industry will grow by 10.9% to 66.7 millio...

The production capacity of the new line will be 1 million tons   China has completed construction of its first near-zero carbon steel production line with a capacity of 1 million tons in Zhanjiang (Guangdong Province), according to CGTN. This production line, owned by Baowu Steel, uses an advanced hydrogen-based reduction process and electric arc furnace. It is noted that direct reduced iron (DRI) produced in a hydrogen-based blast furnace has achieved its metallization targets, while high-efficiency electric furnaces improve overall energy utilization. Compared with traditional processes, the line can reduce carbon emissions by 50-80%. The project is in line with the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), a period identified as critical for promoting high-quality development of the steel sector through green transformation. Between 2021 and 2024...

The company's CEO notes that prices are already showing signs of such a recovery European demand for steel will recover somewhat in 2026, with prices already showing signs of such a recovery amid the introduction of new, tougher EU trade measures and the implementation of CBAM. This opinion was expressed in an interview with Platts (part of S&P Global) by Antonio Marcegaglia, CEO of Italy’s Marcegaglia Group. He said he was generally positive about annual consumption growth, especially in the second half of the year, as he predicted the effect of inventory reduction. Infrastructure spending, especially in Germany and the engineering sector, is expected to be better, while demand in the automotive industry will remain generally stable, without declining. However, Antonio Marcegaglia considers supply to be a more significant facto...

Partnership is a strategy to counter US trade barriers   South Korea’s POSCO has agreed to acquire a 20% stake in Hyundai Steel’s new steel mill in the US, according to the Maeil Business Newspaper. According to a document submitted to the country’s Financial Supervisory Service, POSCO Holdings will invest 858.6 billion won ($582 million) in the EAF plant project in Louisiana, led by Hyundai Steel. The total cost of the project is $5.8 billion, which is one of the largest foreign investments by Korean companies in the steel sector. Half of the funding will be provided by four participating companies: Hyundai Steel, which will become the largest shareholder (50%), Hyundai Motor and Kia (15% each), and POSCO (20%). The remaining funds will be raised through external borrowing. This partnership is a strategy to...

The increase amounted to $14/t and was the first since September Baoshan Iron & Steel (Baosteel), a subsidiary of China Baowu Steel Group, is raising its list prices for hot-rolled carbon steel coil (HRC) for domestic sales in January 2026 by 100 yuan per ton ($14/t). This was reported by Mysteel Global, citing an announcement by the steel producer. The price increase for January sales is the first since September. This decision may be explained by a reduction in production by steel mills to reduce supply, as well as an improvement in the domestic steel market. It should be recalled that since the beginning of November, the global hot-rolled coil market has shown a predominantly upward trend. In the EU and the US, prices rose amid more stable demand and reduced supply. China, on the contrary, remained under pressure from the seasonal downtu...

The company intends to expand its product portfolio, particularly in the long steel segment The board of directors of Indian steel producer Tata Steel has approved a series of decisions regarding future capital expenditures in the country, according to The Hindu. It plans to expand the capacity of Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd. (NINL) in Odisha by 4.8 million tons per year (first phase). This move will allow Tata Steel to increase its long-rolled product portfolio, especially in the highly profitable retail segment. In addition, the funds necessary for design and engineering work to create a 2.5 million tonne per year thin slab casting and rolling facility at the Tata Steel Meramandali steel plant in Odisha have been approved, as well as the process of obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals. The company also intends to establish a hot-rolled pickling...