Housing slump and plant builds diverge as Tung Ho Steel sees AI demand support

Electric-arc furnace steelmaker Tung Ho Steel said Taiwan's real-estate slowdown has dragged down rebar orders in 2026, while high-tech investment and plant construction have strongly supported its section steel and steel structure business. General manager Bing-Hua Huang said rebar shipments and order intake have both slowed since the start of 2026 amid housing policy headwinds. From January to August 2026, order intake fell 23% year-over-year, while orders on hand slipped from 1.2 million tonnes to 1.15 million tonnes, leaving rebar order visibility at 10 months.