EUROFER: EU steel exports to rise around four percent in 2012

According to the Economic and Steel Market Outlook 2012-2013/Q2 2012 Report from the Economic Committee of the European Steel Association (EUROFER), in the fourth quarter of 2011 European Union (EU) steel exports increased by 21 percent year on year.  For the whole of 2011, EU steel exports remained stable compared to the previous year.
 
According to the report, in January-March 2012 EU exports rose almost 13.5 percent compared to the volumes registered in the same period of 2011.
 
In 2011, Algeria accounted for 29 percent of total EU exports outside the region, while the United States, Turkey and Switzerland were also important markets for EU exporters, with a combined share of 23 percent in total exports.
 
According to EUROFER, EU steel exports will increase by around four percent in 2012. With the expected recovery in steel demand due to anticipated improvement in the global economic situation in 2013, EU steel exports are anticipated to rise seven percent in 2013.