The Italian steel industry has started to give signs of a recovery, with a 30 percent year-on-year increase in steel output in the first quarter this year.
Commenting on the increased first quarter output at a press briefing held in Milan on May 5, Giuseppe Pasini, president of the Italian steel producers association Federacciai, stated, "Considering that the steel industry is traditionally viewed as a barometer of the country's well-being, this figure should constitute a boost for the national economic recovery. In the meantime, there are two problems that are of concern to Italian steel companies: the surprising growth in European competition and the incredible ongoing rising trend in prices of raw materials on which our companies are dependent."
Mr. Pasini went on to say that, while the 30 percent increase in Italian steel production in the first quarter is positive, it does not mean the end of the crisis. He said that some markets are livelier than others, for example, stainless steel, while other markets are suffering, such as construction-related steel.