Italy's steel exports to non-EU countries decline in Q1

In the first quarter of this year, Italy's steel imports from non-European Union (EU) countries totaled 2.378 million metric tons, down 30.6 percent, while its steel exports to non-EU destinations amounted to 957,000 metric tons, down 4.8 percent, both year on year, as per the data issued by the Italian steel producers association Federacciai.

In particular, in the given period imports of long products from non-EU countries decreased by 38 percent year on year. Wire rod imports were down 45.2 percent year on year to 40,000 mt, while bar imports decreased by 24.5 percent, also to 40,000 mt.

Italy’s flat steel imports from non-EU countries in the same period declined by 31 percent year on year. Among the most imported flat steel products from non-EU countries in the given period were coils (737,000 mt, down 35.1 percent), cold rolled plate (192,000 mt, down 24.7 percent) and hot dip galvanized plate (102,000 mt, down 54 percent, year on year).

Concerning Italian exports to non-EU countries in the first three months of 2020, long product exports decreased by 23 percent, while flat product exports decreased by 32.6 percent, both year on year. In particular, rebar exports decreased by 33.1 percent to 87,000 mt, wire rod exports declined by 6.5 percent to 72,000 mt, while rail exports were up 66.7 percent to 15,000 mt, all year on year.

Lastly, in the January-March period this year, Italian seamless pipe exports to non-EU countries totaled 92,000 mt, while Italian welded pipe exports came to 118,000 mt, respectively decreasing by 7.1 percent and remaining stable compared to the same period of 2019.

The details are presented in the following table, with units of measurement in thousand metric tons.

(*) Seamless pipes, welded pipes, forged bars, cold drawn sections and bars, drawn wire, cold rolled strips, welded sections, drawn wire.

(**) Flanges, pipe fittings, mining sections, diamond plates, pig iron powder