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Try the Free AI Search EngineAsia Steel Market Overview: 2026 Activity Insights Amid EU Quota Strain
Recent developments in the Asia steel market reflect a Neutral sentiment, driven by changes in EU regulations impacting imports. Reports such as “EU’s new steel import quota period makes strong start“ and “EU steel imports hit early 2026 bottleneck with some Q1 TRQs exhausted within days“ highlight a significant uptick in demand, particularly for products from India, Turkey, and China, coinciding with a notable shift in plant activity levels as monitored via satellite data.
The Solb Steel Jizan plant maintained high activity levels, peaking at 78.0% in July, but later exhibited stability with a gradual decrease to 75.0% by October. This ongoing operational volume aligns with the robust demand highlighted in the article “EU quotas for metal-coated sheet products are rapidly declining.”
Conversely, Ege Steel Aliaga and Fujian Quanzhou Minguang plants showed more variable performance. The Ege plant’s activity fell dramatically to 5.0% in August while slightly recovering to 27.0% by October. This decrease contrasts with other plants, as highlighted in “Steel imports to the EU in early 2026 became a bottleneck: some quotas for the first quarter were exhausted within a few days.“ Fujian Quanzhou maintained consistent output levels at 63.0%, aligning with the rising demand for finished rolled products noted in “EU steel imports hit early 2026 bottleneck…”
The observed reductions and fluctuations in activity levels suggest potential supply disruptions, particularly for producers reliant on the EU market. Specifically, Ege Steel Aliaga may face challenges maintaining inventory levels given its low activity percentages relative to other locations, potentially affecting its ability to meet demand.
For steel buyers and market analysts, immediate procurement recommendations include:
– Prioritize sourcing from Solb Steel Jizan to secure high-volume productions reliably.
– Consider alternative suppliers in China due to Fujian’s steadiness in output, ensuring competitive pricing aligns with EU trends.
– Be aware of Ege Steel Aliaga’s volatility and potentially limit reliance on their products until further activity recovery is noted.
Overall, while imports may face regulatory pressures and logistical challenges, domestic production capabilities remain critical to meeting demand continuity in Asia.