Belgium increased steel production by 6.2% y/y in Q1

In January-March 2025, Belgian steelmakers increased steel production by 6.2% compared to the same period in 2024, to 1.78 million tons. Thus, the country is ranked 21st in the global ranking of steel producing countries (69) by the WorldSteel Association.

In March of this year, steel production in Belgium amounted to 600 thousand tons, up 3.4% month-on-month and 6.8% compared to March 2024.

In general, in March 2025, EU steelmakers increased steel production by 0.2% y/y – to 11.7 million tons, and in January-March they reduced it by 2.5% y/y – to 32.4 million tons.

In 2024, Belgium increased steel production by 21.1% compared to 2023, to 7.1 million tons, the highest since 2019. The sharp increase in steel production was driven, in particular, by the recovery of European industry, stabilization of energy markets and growth in orders in the construction and automotive sectors. The expansion of electric arc furnace capacity also played an important role, in line with the decarbonization policy.

There are 4 steel plants in Belgium, including one blast furnace plant in Ghent (annual capacity of 2.5 million tons of steel) and three electric arc furnaces – two in Charleroi (1 million tons and 800 thousand tons) and one in Genk (1.2 million tons). These are enterprises of ArcelorMittal, Aperam and Riva.