Italy's export-focused steel industry has come under growing pressure from non-EU rivals in the past few years and, facing modest demand on core markets, needs to rethink its product range and consolidate, analysts say.
Steel imports, about 52 percent of which coming from outside the EU, rose 9.8 percent to 15.284 million tonns in the January-October period, according to data published on Federacciai's website.
Italy's steel exports to its main markets in other EU countries jumped 19 percent to 10.334 million tons in the first 10 months of 2011, while imports from the EU rose 1.4 percent to 7.362 million tons.
In trade with countries outside the 27-nation bloc, Italy's steel exports edged down 0.6 percent to 4.060 million tons in the 10 months, while imports jumped 18.9 percent to 7.923 million tons, the data showed.
In the first 11 months of 2011, exports to countries outside the EU rose 2.3 percent to 4.548 million tons, while imports jumped 15.9 percent to 8.383 million tons, Federacciai said, without giving EU figures for the January-November period. (Reuters)
