Global Steel demand to drop in 2016 and bounce back in 2017: worldsteel

CHINA April 13 2016 6:28 PM

LONDON (Scrap Register): The World Steel Association (worldsteel) forecasts that global steel demand will decrease by 0.8% to 1,488 Mt in 2016 following a contraction of -3.0% in 2015. In 2017, it is forecast that world steel demand will return to growth of 0.4% and will reach 1,494 Mt.

Commenting on the outlook, TV Narendran, Chairman of the worldsteel Economics Committee said; “The economic environment facing the steel industry continues to be challenging with China’s slowdown impacting globally across a range of indicators contributing to volatility in financial markets, sluggish growth in global trade and low oil and other commodity prices.”

“The global steel market is suffering from insufficient investment expenditure and continued weakness in the manufacturing sector. In 2016, while we are forecasting another year of contraction in steel demand in China, slow but steady growth in some other key regions including NAFTA and EU is expected. Growth for steel demand in all markets except China is expected in 2017,” Narendran added.

There are several downside risks to worldsteel forecast: the Chinese real estate market and corporate debt problem, anxiety in the financial markets, high (household) debt and volatile capital flows in many emerging economies, geopolitical tensions and unstable political situations in several regions could further worsen the global economic environment.