A recovery in steel demand is unlikely before next year, an industry group said Wednesday, owing to a slowdown in the Chinese economy and weakness in manufacturing. The forecast comes as the industry is roiled by a collapse in prices, the fear of cheap Chinese steel flooding markets, and the social impact of cutbacks to production. Chinese demand for steel is expected to decline by 4.0 percent this year followed a 3.0 percent drop in 2017 to 626.1 million tonnes.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016