After a decrease in February, Italian flat steel production increased in March by 10.6% on-year to 943,000 tonnes, according to data issued by local steelmakers association Federacciai. Flats output also hiked in the first quarter by 3.1% on-year to 2.7 million tonnes.
Longs production jumped in March by as much as 96.6% to 1.2mt, taking Q1 output up 29.2% to 3.3mt, Federacciai says.
The March longs figure compares to the first lockdown in March 2020 when Italian mills suspended production due to the spread of Covid-19. Nevertheless, according to market participants, this output surge is also the result of strong domestic and export demand in Q1 for certain Italian long products, such as wire rod and merchant bar.
Crude steel output in Italy skyrocketed in March by 68.8% y-o-y to 2.3mt (see Kallanish 20 April).
Natalia Capra France
