Eurofer reports that the European Union was a net exporter of steel products during 2012: the trade surplus amounting to 9.5Mt.
Net trade in flat products was 5Mt whereas net trade in long products was 8Mt.
Third country imports into the EU decreased by 27% to 21Mt in 2012 compared to 2011 when import pressure had been very high. In 2012, the combination of sluggish demand and a weakened Euro resulted in a marked reduction in imports.