Italy's steel exports to non-EU countries down 1.5 percent in Jan-Aug

In the January-August period this year, Italy's steel imports from non-European Union (EU) countries totaled 7.842 million metric tons, up 12 percent, while its steel exports to non-EU destinations amounted to 2.717 million metric tons, down 1.5 percent, both year on year, as announced by the Italian steel producers association Federacciai.

In particular, imports of long products from non-EU countries in the first eight months of 2018 increased by 59.7 percent year on year, mainly due to an increase in wire rod imports, which were up 20.4 percent year on year to 230,000 mt and a rise in merchant bar imports (217,000 mt, up 141.1 percent). Flat steel imports in the same period rose by 8.5 percent year on year. Among the most imported flat steel products were cold rolled plate (590,000 mt) and hot dip galvanized plate (471,000 mt).

Concerning Italian exports to non-EU countries in the eight months of 2018, long product exports decreased by 1.1 percent, while flat product exports decreased by 9.9 percent, year on year. In particular, rebar exports rose by 9.9 percent to 404,000 mt, wire rod exports decreased by 1.1 percent to 276,000 mt, while steel coil exports decreased by 17 percent to 93,000 mt, year on year.

The details are presented in the following table, with units of measurement in thousand metric tons.

(*) Seamless pipes, welded pipes, forged bars, cold drawn sections and bars, drawn wire, cold rolled strips, welded sections, drawn wire.

(**) Flanges, pipe fittings, mining sections, diamond plates, pig iron powder