Italy’s steel imports from non-EU countries down in January-April, exports up

In the January-April period this year, Italy’s steel imports from non-EU countries declined, while exports to non-EU destinations increased, as per the data issued by the Italian steel producers association Federacciai.

In particular, Italy imported about 3.24 million metric tons from non-EU countries in the given period, down 25.9 percent from the same period in 2022. On the other hand, exports to non-EU destinations in the January-April period this year amounted to 1.12 million metric tons, up 5.9 percent year on year.  

In the segment for imports from non-EU sources, long products recorded a 2.8 percent decrease compared to the January-April 2022 period: shipbuilding beam imports were down 40.0 percent (to 3,000 metric tons), and wire rod imports were down 19.0 percent (to 115,000 metric tons). Flat products, on the other hand, were down 32.0 percent year on year: coils stood at one million metric tons imported (down 21.5 percent), cold rolled sheet imports came to 208,000 metric tons (down 64.7 percent), hot dip galvanized sheet imports totaled 172,000 metric tons (down 59.1 percent), and tinplate imports 214,000 metric tons (up 81.4 percent).   

In the export segment, however, increases of 17.4 percent were recorded for long products and 5.1 percent for flat products. In particular, increases were recorded for wire rod (92,000 metric tons, +22.7 percent), rebar (57,000 metric tons, +35.7 percent) and rails (27,000 metric tons, +200.0 percent). Among flat products, exports of the following products increased significantly: hot rolled sheets (102,000 metric tons, +21.4 percent), hot galvanized sheets (64,000 metric tons, +82.9 percent), and cold rolled sheets (44,000 metric tons, +41.9 percent).  

Considering 1st manufacturing products, these recorded a 30.9 percent increase in imports and a 3.6 percent decrease in exports. In contrast, second manufacturing products recorded a 29.7 percent decrease in imports and a 2.1 percent decrease in exports.  

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