Italian steel production returned to growth in September, ending a two-month declining streak, as output from domestic mills climbed 2.1% year over year to 1.9 million metric tons, according to data released Oct. 20 by the Italian steel federation, Federacciai.
The rebound pushed cumulative output for the first nine months of 2026 to 15.9 million mt, up 2.4% compared with the same period in 2025. This comes as the European Commission’s import measures on steel put in place in July have proven to help local producers at a time when European steel markets have grappled with weak demand, import pressure and elevated energy costs.
Meanwhile, the recovery in Italian steel output could signal a modest tightening of supply in the largest per-capita steel consumer and the second-largest steel-producing country after Germany.
Steel long products — which include rebar and wire rod used heavily in construction — held steady at 1.2 million mt in September, unchanged year over year, according to Federacciai data. For the January-September period, the longs segment posted cumulative output of 9.6 million mt, up 4.7% from the same period in 2025, reflecting relatively resilient demand from Italy’s construction and infrastructure sectors.
However, hot-rolled flat products told a very different story. September output fell sharply to 736,000 mt, declining 17% year over year, and further pressuring a segment that serves the automotive, white goods and mechanical engineering industries. Over the first nine months of 2026, flat product output totaled 6.5 million mt, down 4.2% from the same period in 2025.
The persistent weakness in flat steel production in Italy mirrors broader challenges facing European integrated steelmakers, who are confronting the softening in the automotive sector. Meanwhile, the resilience of Italian long products reflects the ongoing investment in Italian public infrastructure projects, in part supported by the six-year National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed Oct. 19 domestic HRC in Southern Europe at €740/metric ton ex-works Italy, stable day over day and imported HRC in Southern Europe at €595/mt CIF Southern Europe, also unchanged day over day.
Author: Annalisa Villa
