According to the Economic and Steel Market Outlook 2017-2018/Q1 2017 Report from the Economic Committee of the European Steel Association (EUROFER), EU steel tube output continued to expand in the third quarter of 2016, rising by 1.6 percent year on year, having resumed positive growth in the preceding quarter following a prolonged period of decline.
The EUROFER report indicated that first estimates for steel tube output in the final quarter of 2016 signal ongoing mild growth of EU tube production. All in all, total tube production activity is estimated to have expanded by 1.9 percent in 2016.
According to EUROFER, pipeline project activity in the wider European area is expected to remain rather robust. Improving activity in the automotive, construction, metal goods and mechanical engineering sectors will be supportive to demand for smaller welded tubes and seamless tubes.
The outlook for 2017 and 2018 is for steel tube output to expand moderately further. EU output is expected to rise by 1.4 percent in 2017 and in 2018.