Steel Trading Study Group (STSG), a study group created by EUROMETAL (the association of European steel and metals distributors) in order to analyze the flow of steel products at the main European ports - i.e., Anwerp (Belgium), Rotterdam and Vlissingen (Netherlands), Ravenna and Marghera (Italy), Bilbao and Sagunto (Spain), Duisburg and Bremen (Germany), Hull (UK) and Dunkerque (France) - has lately issued a new report regarding the EU's hot rolled flat steel imports/exports.
According to the report, based on STSG estimates, in 2010 European deliveries of hot rolled flat steel products to non-EU countries will reach 4.3 million metric tons, compared to 4.12 million metric tons last year and 3.77 million metric tons in 2008. The share of hot rolled flat steel deliveries to non-EU destinations out of total deliveries (to both EU and non-EU destinations) will be 15.8 percent in 2010, up from 12.9 percent in 2009 and 12 percent in 2008.
In the meantime, European hot rolled flat steel imports are expected to reach 4.4 million metric tons this year, increasing by 1.4 million metric tons year on year but decreasing by 2.3 million metric tons compared to 2008.
There are also significant changes in the main sources of European hot rolled flat steel imports. In 2008 China accounted for 28 percent of total EU imports of the products in question, followed by Russia with 16 percent, Serbia with nine percent and Ukraine with four percent; in 2009 Russia accounted for 26 percent, Ukraine for 15 percent, Serbia for 13 percent and China accounted for seven percent; finally, in the first half of the current year, Russia was the source of 34 percent of the EU's hot rolled flat steel imports, following by China with 19 percent, Ukraine with 12 percent and Serbia with 11 percent.