Steel product sales in the German distribution and stockholding system in December fell 56% month on month and 14% year on year to 465,000 mt, according to data from sales and stockholder association BDS.
Sales of flat products totaled 289,758, down 55% month on month and 18% year on year, while longs steel products sales totaled 143,297 mt, down 54% month on month and 6.2% year on year.
All other products sales totaled 31,946 mt in December, compared to 61,677 mt in November and 38,584 mt in December 2022.
Steel product stocks fall
Stocks of all steel products in the German stockholding and distribution segment in December 2023 totaled about 1.85 million mt, down 5.1% year on year and 2.9% month on month.
Flats stocks in December fell to 1.165 million mt, down 3.8% month on month but little changed year on year.
Long stocks in December were at 652,347 mt, down 13% year on year and down 1.2% month on month.
All other products stocks in December totaled 36,702 mt, down from 38,645 mt in November and 39,786 mt in December 2022.
Platts, part of S&P Global, assessed hot-rolled coil in Europe at the beginning of December at Eur680/mt ($739/mt) base ex-works Ruhr to Eur690/my base ex-works.
Author Annalisa Villa, annalisa.villa@
