An overview of the use of steel in the EU automotive industry

EUROFER believes that the soft growth scenario for vehicle sales and production from 2014 to 2015 looks plausible, which will require even more high-strength and light steels. EU passenger car sales showed a further increase in the first two months of 2014. YoY sales rose 6.6 percent in the largest markets, contributing positively to this growth.

At the same time, steelmakers in Europe are experiencing some concern about the growing popularity of aluminum for the automotive industry.For example, in the United States, Ford already includes aluminum casting in a third of its cars, and the new The F-150 is manufactured with a minimum amount of steel.

The economic recovery in the EU is expected to pick up further momentum this year and next, which should stimulate transport activity and demand for transport equipment. In addition, export demand appears to remain on an upward trend.

In the 1st quarter of 2014, there is an increase in domestic and export car sales. The main exception was France, where sales stabilized at last year's levels.

Commercial vehicle demand rose 13.7 percent in February for the sixth consecutive month, pushing 8.9 percent YoY growth in February

Demand has improved across all market segments. Also, the demand for EU premium passenger cars continues to grow in third countries in the first months of 2014. This gave impetus to the production of cars in Germany and the UK.

In the first quarter of 2014, automotive production is estimated to have grown by another 6.5 percent. The outlook for the remainder of 2014 and 2015 suggests continued moderate growth in automotive activity. The demand for commercial vehicles will also expand. Overall, total car output is expected to grow 3.5 percent in 2014 and nearly 2.5 percent in 2015.