EU finished steel imports inch down in March amid uncertainty

Europe 

22 May 2025: EU demand for finished steel products from Turkey, Ukraine, China and Indonesia increased sharply in March 2025 compared to the same month last year, but deliveries from other major suppliers plummeted, resulting in a 4.4% decline in total import volumes, to 1.96 million tonnes (Mt).  

Meanwhile, overall steel shipments into the European Union in Q1 2025 amounted to 8.2 Mt, compared to 8 Mt over the same period in 2024.

Slow activity in the end use sector and uncertain market conditions stemmed European buyers' appetite for deep-sea deliveries despite attractive prices. 

United Kingdom

UK finished steel imports in March 2025 jumped by 21.7% year-on-year, to 447kt, owing to a sharp rise in steel deliveries from the European Union. 

France supplied 67kt of finished steel products into the United Kingdom, a 143% hike compared to the same month last year. Spain exported 47kt in March 2025, a rise of 37.6%. Korean imports surged from 4.5kt to 19.8kt over the same period, with Chinese shipments reaching 24.5kt, up 5%. At the same time German and Turkish deliveries plummeted by 13.7% and 16.2%, respectively.