TPT March 2013

Made in Steel Focus

Lights and shades for the Italian steel industry this year

THE first part of 2012 was marked by ups and downs for Italian steel. After a good start of the year, the iron and steel industry slowed down, and some of the industry key indicators went below their 2011 levels. Production – In the first quarter of the year, domestic steel industry recorded clearly higher figures than in the same period of the year before, to then go down in the following four months. Going into further details, an output of 7.435 million of tons of iron and steel products was recorded between January and March, +6.4% vs. 2011. Since April, however, production data began deteriorating, losing 4.1% in the fourth month of the year, 3.3% in May, 7.9% in June and 7.8% in July. In the first seven months of the year, then, overall output amounted to 17.282 million tons, down 0.7% versus the previous year. Italian steel performed better than the EU, where output decreased by 4.6% between January and July versus 2011. Globally, a 1% increase was recorded, with an overall output of 896.944 million tons. Foreign trade – More exports, less imports. This, in a nutshell, is the trend of Italian steel foreign trade between January and May (most recent available data). According to statistics published by Federacciai, in the first five months of the year, purchases of iron and steel products from abroad amounted to 6.205 million tons, minus 26.3% versus the previous year. All products are decreasing, in particular flat-rolled products (-31.6%), while products resulting from the first (-9%) and second “Work and life” is to be the theme developed at the fifth Made in Steel, the conference and exhibition of the steel industry that will be held in Milan at the exhibition halls of fieramilanocity on 3-5 April 2013. The decision taken by the Steering Committee of Made in Steel is rooted in the significance of iron and steel work, in the constant and close presence of steel in our everyday lives: in the movement generated in

Some of the biggest names in the steel industry will speak at the show

processing of steel (-7.3%) are doing better. With respect to exports, volumes increased by 9.8%, to 8.208 million tons. The result was achieved especially thanks to the good performance of long (+18.5% to 1.749 million tons) and flat- rolled products (+14.7% to 3.769 million tons), while products of first processing of steel diminished by 1.5%. Breaking down figures by geographical area, between January and May imports from EU dropped by 8.1%, while exports grew by 3.5%; as to non-EU countries, imports diminished by 42% (at 2.620 million tons) while exports increased by 27.4% (2.505 million tons). Apparent consumption – In the first five months of 2012, Italian apparent consumption of steel amounted to Prices –The trend of steel prices in Italy closely followed production. In the first quarter, the superindex of carbon steel prices in Italy (calculated by Siderweb on the average of basic prices of coils, hot-rolled plates, galvanized plates, round bars for reinforced concrete, wire rods, beams and merchant bars) rose from €428.13 per ton in early January to €444.09 per ton at the end of March. While production weakened, prices began to fall, more markedly from the second half of May, taking average prices at the end of July to €403.03 per ton, 5.9% less than in January. 2013 theme is: “Work and life” 10.386 million tons, with a reduction of 2.695 million tons vs. the previous 12 months. The percentage drop amounted to 21%.

us to realise how its absence would destroy the certainties on which our life is based. In this direction, Made in Steel will organise a full agenda of conferences that will tackle the relevant supply chains of the user sectors in their complexity, describing their current status and prospects. In addition, looking as always towards the future, Made in Steel will analyse the new geography of steel.

it, in the energy it emanates, in the solidity of the structure it manages to create. Made in Steel intends to be part and parcel of the certainty of the sublimation of man by means of his works. Thanks to the particular care with which the main user sectors will be analysed – building, transportation and power and utilities – the connection between steel and our lives will be more decisively felt, leading each of

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M arch 2013