France maintained its status as a net exporter of steel in 2006, with its steel exports exceeding its imports by 2.11 million metric tons – according to data issued by the French Steel Federation.
In 2006 France recorded an increase of 6.6 percent year on year in its steel exports, reaching a total of 16.608 million mt. Of the EU countries, France’s best customers for its steel products were Belgium with 3.732 million mt – up 13.5 percent year on year, Spain with 3.072 million mt – up 17.4 percent, followed by Germany with 2.748 million mt – up 5.5 percent. Italy imported 2.52 million mt of steel from France in 2006, up 14.8 percent compared to the previous year. In 2006, France directed just 1.788 million mt of steel to non-European Union countries, down 18.6 percent on 2005.
As regards imports of steel products in 2006, France registered total imports of 14.496 million mt, up 14.6 percent on the figure for 2005.
Belgium was the country from which France imported the most steel in 2006 – at 5.184 million mt, up 19.7 percent on the previous year. In second place came Germany with 3.312 million mt, up 7.8 percent on 2005. Italy was in third place with 1.632 million mt, up 25.9 percent year on year. Meanwhile, France’s steel imports from non-EU countries registered a 41.5 percent increase year on year, rising to 696,000 mt.