Raw materials prices — Possible consequences of their evolution

The price of raw materials for the steel industry is currently evolving much faster than the development of steel production processes. This dossier examines the consequences.

It is divided into three parts:

• the first, of a technical nature, is a reflection on the evolution of steelmaking processes and steel production channels as described in the volumes of Techniques de l'Ingénieur ;

• the second, of a more economic or even commercial nature, reviews the evolution of raw material prices in the steel industry over the past few years, and more particularly over the last two years;

• the last describes the consequences that can be drawn from these developments, including, with all due caution, longer-term trends in the steel industry.