
The forecast assumes steady progress on COVID-19 vaccinations will occur, allowing a gradual return to normality in major steel-consuming economies.
“Despite the disastrous impact of the pandemic on lives and livelihoods, the global steel industry was fortunate enough to end 2020 with only a minor contraction in steel demand,” comments Al Remeithi, chairman of the association’s Economics Committee. He attributed that “a surprisingly robust (9.1 percent) recovery in China while demand across the rest of the world contracted by 10 percent.
“In the coming years, steel demand will recover firmly, both in the developed and developing economies, supported by pent-up demand and governments’ recovery programs. However,” Remeithi adds, “a return to the pre-pandemic levels of steel demand for most developed economies will take a few years.”
The association studied the end markets most dependent on steel. Global construction output fell 3.9 percent last year as pandemic shutdowns interrupted construction projects and upended capital plans in numerous regions. “Fiscal resources were drawn away from infrastructure investment for the pandemic support programs,” the agency says.


Global construction is expected to reach the 2019 level again in 2022.
The automotive sector nosedived during the second quarter of 2020. Plants were rebooted to produce personal protection equipment and respirators. The decline in automotive production activity in 2020 was of a double-digit scale in most countries.
The sector is expected to recover strongly in 2021, particularly in the United States, where 2021 output will exceed that of 2019.
The global machinery sector was hit by shrinking investments and supply chain disruptions last year. The industry has started reviewing its supply chains for flexibility and reliability. An accelerating trend toward digitization and automation will drive industries to invest in machinery over the next two years, the World Steel Association predicts.

“We plan to add two additional value-added flat roll coating lines more quickly than originally expected,” President and CEO Mark D. Millett said April 15. “The site has yet to be determined but it will be located in the South, to provide Sinton with similar diversification and higher-margin product capabilities as our Butler and Columbus Flat Roll Steel divisions.”
The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based steelmaker will also build two more coil coating lines in the Midwest to support growing demand for coated sheet.
The company plans to invest $225 million in two new Southern coating lines. The lines will consist of a 300,000-tons-per-year galvanizing line with Galvalume coating capability and a 240,000-ton paint line.
Roughly $175 million to $200 million will be invested in the Midwest coating lines, providing SDI’s existing sheet mill customers with more value-added product diversification. Here, too, the plan is for 300,000 tons of galvanized and 240,000 tons of painted products. SDI expects to launch production on its Midwest coating lines during the second half of 2022.




















