Apparent steel consumption in the EU to rise 3% in 2026

The European Steel Association (EUROFER) forecasts that the EU’s apparent steel consumption will fall by 0.2% in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive on-year decline, but will pick up in 2026 to rise by 3%, according to the latest Economic and Steel Market Outlook released by the association on December 2.

The association attributes the 2025 decline to weak industrial output, subdued business confidence, and tariff-induced uncertainty that has disrupted trade flows and complicated supply chain planning. Despite the expected rebound in 2026, the report stresses that this recovery is conditional on an improvement in the industrial outlook and a measurable easing