Demand for steel in Europe is expected to rise in 2018, European steel association Eurofer said earlier this week, warning of a threat of rising imports.
Steel consumption, is set to rise by 1.9 percent in the 28 countries of the European Union this year.
The group said there may be a risk to exports from the rising euro, but focussed more on imports.
Steel imports into the EU fell by about 1 percent last year,because of trade measures to counteract what are considered to be dumping and unfair subsidies from exporting countries outside the EU. In addition, prices for steel in China increased, making it less lucrative to export to Europe.
Steel exports from China to the EU declined by 41 percent, exports from Russia by 32 percent and exports from Ukraine by 31 percent.
But steel imports from India increased by almost 100 percent, imports from Indonesia more than 100 percent and imports from Turkey were some 64 percent higher last year.
