21 January 2026 – EU rolling capacities for steel are reportedly operating close to maximum utilisation since autumn last year. German steel producers achieved significant efficiency gains in 2025.
EU Rolling Capacity Already Fully Utilised?
As early as December 2025, we reported that the order books of EU stainless steel mills were fully booked and that delivery times were already extending into late spring 2026. The main drivers were the introduction of the EU CO2 tax CBAM and the planned steel tariffs and quota reductions.
There are now increasing indications that EU rolling mills for carbon steel have also reached their capacity limits. According to media reports, all major mills in Europe are currently operating at utilisation rates of between 97% and 100%.
EU Hot-Rolled Coil Prices Rise
At the same time, prices for European-produced hot-rolled coil have in some cases risen by nearly 10%. Further price increases are expected should EU steel producers be forced to operate for an extended period at what is considered an uneconomic production level.
If, as expected, several million tonnes of additional steel demand are redirected to domestic producers due to CBAM and tariffs, this could quickly lead to a widening supply shortage in the EU market.
German Steel Producers Achieve Significant Efficiency Gains in 2025
Even though German steel producers describe 2025 as the fourth consecutive year of crisis, one important factor often goes unmentioned. Based on the latest data from the German Steel Federation (Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl), German mills have implemented substantial efficiency improvements.
As a result, rolling mills required up to one million tonnes less crude steel to produce hot-rolled steel compared with previous years.
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Disclaimer: Many things here represent our opinion. Others are information from the Internet. We can therefore never claim to be correct or complete. And never base a business decision solely on the news you receive from us.
