EU steel industry faces decline in key indicators

The steel industry in the European Union (EU) has seen key indicators fall. This was reported by the Financial Times (FT).

It cited the European steel association Eurofer, which said exports to the United States fell 29 percent in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The reason for this dynamics was the 50 percent duties imposed by the United States authorities on the import of these products. In addition, shipments to Turkey, India and China fell by at least 18 percent.

Overall, exports of the metal fell by 20 percent, and EU crude steel production fell by 3 percent in 2025 to 126 million tonnes. In the first five months it lost another percentage.

The publication noted that the European Union ranks second in the world in steel production. However, Asia accounts for almost three-quarters of global crude steel production, while Europe accounts for 14 percent. The EU is the fourth largest exporting region after China, Japan and South Korea, but is also the largest importer, according to World Steel.

In addition, European steel producers continue to face numerous challenges, including ever-increasing energy costs, made even higher by the conflict in the Middle East.