According to the statistics released by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, in the first nine months of this year France's basic steel product and ferroalloy exports amounted to a value of €7.7 billion, recording a decrease of 1.9 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
France's steel product and ferroalloy exports had been rising steadily on year-on-year basis each month since March 2010, before trending stable in June and July and showing a slight decrease in August. In the first nine months of 2012, steel and ferroalloys ranked eighth among the most exported products of the country.
During the period in question, France exported €1.57 billion of steel pipes and tubes - down 12.1 percent, €357.6 million of cold rolled steel strip - down 14.6 percent, €291 million of cold rolled steel bars - down eight percent, €299 million of cold drawn wire - down 0.4 percent, €498 million of metal structures and parts - down 8.9 percent, all compared to the first nine months of 2011.
Meanwhile, in the January-September period of this year France's basic steel product and ferroalloy imports totaled €7 billion, down 15.6 percent year on year.
During the given period, France imported €1.25 billion of steel pipes and tubes - down 8.6 percent, €437 million of cold rolled steel strip - down 16.9 percent, €333 million of cold rolled steel bars - down 14 percent, €282 million of cold drawn wire - down 19.2 percent, and €1 billion of metal structures and parts - down 5.8 percent, all compared to the same period of the previous year.