Global steel demand will grow by 1.8 per cent this year to 1.616 billion tonnes driven by favourable global economic momentum, though the market faces risks from rising trade tensions, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) said on Tuesday. In 2019, global steel demand growth will slow to 0.7 per cent and total 1.627 billion tonnes, it said. Steel use in China, which consumes half the world's steel, will remain flat in 2018 at 736.8 million tonnes and fall by 2 per cent next year to 722.1 million tonnes, worldsteel said.