According to the statistics released by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, in the January-February period of 2010
France's basic steel product and ferroalloy exports amounted to a value of €1.34 billion, increasing slightly by 0.44 percent year on year.
Steel and ferroalloys ranked eighth in the given period among the most exported products of the country.
In the first two months of this year,
France exported €257.18 million of steel pipes and tubes - down 28.84 percent, €40.92 million of cold rolled steel bars - down 4.92 percent, €74.51 million of cold rolled steel strip - down 10.28 percent, €43.77 million of cold drawn
wire - down 4.93 percent, €95.28 million of metal structures and parts - up 0.1 percent, all compared to January-February 2009.
Meanwhile, in the period in question
France's basic steel product and ferroalloy imports totaled €1.35 billion, up 4.69 percent year on year.
During the given period,
France imported €197.66 million of steel pipes and tubes - down 14.24 percent, €43.87 million of cold rolled steel bars - down 18.51 percent, €82.53 million of cold rolled steel strip - up 8.35 percent, €53.19 million of cold drawn
wire - down 1.43 percent, and €166.95 million of metal structures and parts - down 6.03 percent, all compared to the previous year.