Steel demand by sector - United States as of 2018

Steel demand in the United States is mainly driven by the construction sector, which accounted for about 44 percent of demand in 2018. Other contributing sectors include the energy sector and automotive as well as machinery and equipment manufacturing.

Construction works ahead  

The U.S. steel industry has witnessed consistently high prices of steel scrap and hot-rolled coil (hrc) steel in recent years, partly as a result of economic growth and, to some extent, due to the increased steel tariffs implemented by the White House in 2018. This trend has had a positive impact on steel producers. However, higher prices continue to put pressure on those markets where steel is used as an input material. In light of the nation’s reliance on steel imports, the enterprises under pressure may look to large steel producers such as Nucor, Steel Dynamics, and U.S. Steel. All of these companies are planning to bring new mills and furnaces on line.