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European Steel in Figures 2020
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European Steel in Figures 2020 is the European Steel Association’s (EUROFER) statistical guide. It shows a sector that has experienced a challenging year in 2019, with employment levels stable but demand beginning to fall off. In 2019, imports fell from the record rise seen in 2018 - in line with falling demand. The decline in production and demand will have an impact on future employment figures, as will the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Total employment – jobs directly or indirectly, or induced by the sector – now stands at 2.6 million. Total Gross Value Added is €140 billion.
This new European Steel in Figures 2020 guide updates the trade map, showing imports and exports from the EU in an easy-to-understand way, breaking down previously hard to read figures. Additionally, the sustainability section of the guide has been doubled in size and updated with the latest data, now including refreshed information on slag production by the steel industry and its use by other downstream sectors.
All these statistics help give an overview of the European steel industry today. Awareness of the employment, production, demand and trade challenges that face the sector ensure a greater understanding of our strategically important sector. With this in mind, I hope you enjoy using European Steel in Figures 2020.
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Brussels, 2 April 2025 - The latest data unveiled by the OECD in its meeting in Paris draw an extremely worrying picture, where global steel excess capacity is expected to grow from an estimated 602 million tonnes in 2024 to 721 million tonnes by 2027 – over five times the EU's steel production. The European steel industry - already severely hit by the spill-over effects of global overcapacity and the U.S. steel import tariffs - reiterates the crucial need for strict and effective EU post-safeguard measures to ensure its survival.
Brussels, 19 March 2025 – The Steel and Metals Action Plan, unveiled today by the European Commission, provides the right diagnosis to the existential challenges facing the European steel industry. Concrete measures need to follow swiftly to reverse the decline of the sector, re-establish a level playing field with global competitors, and incentivise investment and uptake of green steel in the market.
Brussels, 12 March 2025 – The imposition of a 25% blanket tariff by the United States' administration on all steel imports exacerbates an already dire market environment for the European steel industry and poses a genuine threat to its future. The sector expects the European Union to respond with an effective revision of the steel safeguard measures that will mitigate the impact of the U.S. tariffs and ensure the longevity of the industry in the long-term, says the European Steel Association.