According to the statistics released by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, in the first 11 months of 2012
France's basic steel product and ferroalloy exports amounted to a value of €9.5 billion, recording a decrease of 2.9 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
France's steel product and ferroalloy export value has been on a downtrend with a growing decrease rate since August last year. In the first 11 months of 2012, steel and ferroalloys ranked eighth among the most exported products of the country.
During the period in question,
France exported €2 billion of steel pipes and tubes - down 10.6 percent, €450 million of cold rolled steel strip - down 10.4 percent, €354 million of cold rolled steel bars - down eight percent, €370 million of cold drawn
wire - down 0.3 percent, €621 million of metal structures and parts - down 6.9 percent, all compared to the first 11 months of 2011.
Meanwhile, in the January-November period of last year
France's basic steel product and ferroalloy imports totaled €8.4 billion, down 14.6 percent year on year.
During the given period,
France imported €1.6 billion of steel pipes and tubes - down 6.3 percent, €546 million of cold rolled steel strip - down 13.3 percent, €397 million of cold rolled steel bars - down 14.8 percent, €342 million of cold drawn
wire - down 17.9 percent, and €1.27 billion of metal structures and parts - down five percent, all compared to the same period of the previous year.