At Made in Steel 2025 held at Fiera Milano Rho, Italy, a roundtable was convened to discuss the current state and future outlook of the Italian and European markets for flat steel products. The discussion offered a clear-eyed, realistic, and at times moderately optimistic analysis, featuring insights from leading industry figures.
Andrea Gabrielli, chairman and CEO of Gabrielli Group, opened the panel by outlining a challenging start to the year, commenting, “2024 closed with an eight percent decline in flat product sales, bringing us back to levels even lower than the pre-COVID period,” adding, “The first months of 2025 have shown a slight recovery, but a 3-4 percent drop still persists.” He also pointed out the growing difficulties in procurement due to changes in EU safeguard clauses and provisional antidumping duties on imported HRC, which are significantly limiting import opportunities from third countries.
The perspective on welded pipe products was provided by Pierluigi Pegorari, CEO of Arvedi Tubi Acciaio, who described an apparent stability in volumes, but increasing pressure from market distortions. “Phenomena such as stockpiling are disrupting the entire distribution system,” he explained. “For us, the priority is not growth but consolidation in the downstream segment, focusing on special steels,” he said.
Gianfranco Imperato, CEO of Trasteel, offered an overview of slabs and plate products, acknowledging a difficult 2024 but also highlighting early signs of stabilization. “After a 6-7 percent drop in consumption across Europe, we are now seeing a slight realignment in margins thanks to reduced supply and a rebound in prices,” he noted.
Looking ahead, the speakers agreed on the need to tackle uncertainty with flexibility and a strategic vision. “The European manufacturing sector has lost competitiveness. We need to pay close attention to key industries like home appliances and automotive,” Gabrielli observed. Pegorari stressed the urgency of structural interventions, particularly to support energy and infrastructure.
Imperato concluded with a message of cautious optimism, stating, “The order book looks solid, but the market remains cautious. That said, the history of steel suggests that after every downturn a recovery inevitably follows.”