According to the statistics released by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, in the January-November period of 2009, France's basic steel product and ferroalloy exports amounted to a value of €7.07 billion, down 37.48 percent year on year.
During the period in question, France exported €1.79 billion of steel pipes and tubes - down 32.78 percent, €194.26 million of cold rolled steel bars - down 56.56 percent, €401.8 million of cold rolled steel strip - down 44.64 percent, €213.87 million of cold drawn wire - down 40.34 percent, €644.33 million of metal structures and parts - down 15.77 percent, all compared to the corresponding period of 2008.
Meanwhile, in the first eleven months of last year, France's basic steel product and ferroalloy imports totaled €6.31 billion, down 46.79 percent year on year.
During the period in question, France imported €1.17 billion of steel pipes and tubes - down 34.57 percent, €222.11 million of cold rolled steel bars - down 53.36 percent, €397.67 million of cold rolled steel strip - down 35.52 percent, €284.92 million of cold drawn wire - down 44.17 percent, and €1.01 billion of metal structures and parts - down 26.77 percent, all compared to the corresponding period of 2008.