According to the statistics released by Italian steel producers' association Federacciai, in 2009 Italy's long product output totaled 11.06 million metric tons, decreasing by 33.6 percent compared to 2008.
Meanwhile, in the year in question, the country's flat steel production declined by 35 percent year on year, reaching 9.09 million metric tons.
In 2009, long steel products accounted for 56 percent of Italian steel production of 19.7 million mt, while flat steel products constituted the remaining 44 percent.
On the other hand, Italy's long steel product output almost halved in December last year, decreasing by 43.21 percent month on month and amounting to 581,000 metric tons. The year-on-year decline rate was 22.3 percent.
In December, Italy produced 881,000 metric tons of flat products, indicating a year-on-year increase of 40.3 percent, thanks to the recommissioning of idled blast furnaces. However, a month-on-month decrease of 6.28 percent was registered.