Italy's steel exports to non-EU countries down 16.1 percent in H1

In the January-June period this year, Italy's steel imports from non-European Union (EU) countries totaled 4.285 million metric tons, down 32.4 percent, while its steel exports to non-EU destinations amounted to 1.871 million metric tons, down 16.1 percent, both year on year, as per the data issued by the Italian steel producers association Federacciai. In both cases the year-on-year decrease was lower compared to that recorded in the January-May period this year, signaling an improvement in June.

In particular, in the given period imports of long products from non-EU countries decreased by 22.2 percent year on year. Wire rod imports were down 15.2 percent year on year to 89,000 mt, while bar imports decreased by 27.7 percent year on year to 73,000 mt.

Italy’s flat steel imports from non-EU countries in the same period declined by 30.7 percent year on year. Among the most imported flat steel products from non-EU countries in the given period were coils (1,316,000 mt, down 36.9 percent), cold rolled plate (345,000 mt, down 28.9 percent), and hot dip galvanized plate (167,000 mt, down 44.7 percent, all year on year).

Concerning Italian exports to non-EU countries in the first six months of 2020, long product exports decreased by 18.9 percent, while flat product exports decreased by 3.3 percent, both year on year. In particular, rebar exports moved down by 27.3 percent to 186,000 mt, wire rod exports declined by 14.9 percent to 172,000 mt, while rail exports were up 168.8 percent to 43,000 mt, all year on year. Furthermore, coil exports decreased by 23.2 percent to 152,000 mt, while hot rolled plate exports increased by 26.5 percent to 129,000 mt, year on year.

Lastly, in the January-June period this year, Italian seamless pipe exports to non-EU countries totaled 173,000 mt, while Italian welded pipe exports came to 193,000 mt, respectively decreasing by 18.4 percent and by 21.5 percent 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