According to the figures released by the Italian steel producers association Federacciai, in September this year Italian crude steel output decreased by 7.8 percent year on year to 2.365 million metric tons. September is the sixth month in a row in which a year-on-year output fall has been recorded. Moreover, the downtrend has slowed down its pace as Federacciai posted a year-on-year crude steel production decrease of 15.5 percent in August.
In the first nine months of the current year, total Italian crude steel output amounted to 20.853 million mt, down 2.6 percent compared to the same period of 2011 and down 3.21 million mt or 13.3 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2008.
In Q3 this year, Italian crude steel output amounted to 5.986 million mt, down 9.9 percent compared to Q3 2011 and down 14.7 percent compared to Q3 2008. In Q2 of the current year, the negative variations compared to the corresponding quarters in 2011 and 2008 amounted respectively to 4.4 percent and 14.7 percent.