Head of the EVRAZ Project Sales Directorate Dmitry Pukhnarevich said in an interview that the steel beam market is going through a difficult period. After record demand in 2024, in the second half of 2025, consumption decreased by 25–30% due to a high key rate and massive freezing of projects. The portfolio of objects where I-beams are used has decreased to 1.6 million tons - the market will not receive about 0.5 million tons in the coming years.
The main threat, according to the expert, is the increase in imports of Chinese finished metal structures. Their volume has already reached 40–50 thousand tons and may grow to 100–200 thousand tons by 2027, displacing the products of Russian factories.
At the same time, the segment of infrastructure and social facilities is developing - parking lots, passages, concert halls. And in the next 2–3 years, steel construction will become more economical than concrete due to the rising cost of labor and materials.
Full analysis is in the Kommersant article.
