Federacciai details worsening steel products consumption

The Italian steel industry reported total turnover of €66 billion ($72 billion) in 2022, reflecting a 15.8% increase compared to 2021, local steelmakers association Federacciai revealed at its conference organised as part of the Made in Steel tradeshow in Milan this week.

The sector imported 20.3 million tonnes of steel products for a value of €26.9 billion, a 33% year-on-year increase. The country exported 15.7mt last year for a total value of €27.2 billion, another striking 23.9% increase compared to 2021, Federacciai reported at the event attended by Kallanish.

Italy was the world’s 11th largest steel producer with 21.6mt of crude steel in 2022, a decrease of 11.5% on 2021. Longs production last year decreased by 12% or 1.6mt on 2021.

The association points out in its annual report the negative performance of long products. Wire rod output stood at 5.2mt, reflecting an 11.6% fall compared to 2021. Merchant bar output stood at 3.5mt last year, declining 11.3% y-o-y. Rebar production stood at 2.6mt, down 12.5% compared to 2021. Sections output also decreased by 16.1% to 752,000t.

Last year, flats output decreased y-o-y by 13.8% to 9.6mt. Amongst other flat products, hot rolled coil was the worst performing with 7.2mt produced in 2022, down 17.3% on-year, equivalent to 1.5mt. Coil derivatives output also showed a worsening performance. Cold rolled sheet output reduced by 9% to 5mt. Galvanised sheet production also fell last year by 11.4% to 3.7mt.

“After the steep rise observed in 2021 (30.3mt, +26.7%), in 2022 the apparent consumption of primary steel products returned to negative territory with a drop of 4.5% (-1.4mt) and was equal to 29mt … The minor reduction in consumption compared to the contraction of production (-11.5%) was supported by a new strengthening of imports in our country,” Federacciai observes.

Natalia Capra France