New orders in the German steel market stabilized on year-on-year basis in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the German steel federation Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl (WV Stahl). In the quarter in question, rolled steel orders in Germany rose around seven percent quarter on quarter, reaching 9.3 million metric tons, up by one percent year on year, following six consecutive quarters of year-on-year decrease.
Stimulus came especially from foreign markets (up 10.3 percent quarter on quarter and rising by five percent year on year), totaling 3.8 million metric tons, while domestic demand decreased by 1.3 percent year on year to 5.5 million metric tons.
Due to the weak economic conditions, German rolled steel deliveries in the fourth quarter fell by 10 percent to 8.3 million metric tons compared to the previous quarter and were down one percent from the already-depressed same quarter of the previous year. However, WV Stahl assumes demand may be stimulated by inventory building in the first quarter of 2013.