Flat Steel Imports in EU Reached a Nine-year New High in March

Despite the implementation of a series of anti-dumping measures, the first quarter of this year, European flat steel materials' import is still reached to a total of 5.54 million tons, up 6.3% over the same period last year. Among them, the EU imports of flat steel in March reached to more than 2 million tons, hit a new high since September 2008, the main reason may be the fourth quarter of last year, the purchased steels will arrive to European in the first quarter of this year.
Viewed from products difference, Hot Rolled Coil is still the largest imports, imports totaled 1.874 million tons in the first quarter, down 11%. Among which imports in March was 672,000 tons, down 6%, mainly affected by anti-dumping cases. Imports from China, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Iran and Serbia declined. However, it is noteworthy that the growth of cold rolled significantly, March imports hit a new high since October 2015, to 364,000 tons, an increase of 64%. In the first quarter, totally imports 169.1 million tons, an increase of 21%.
In terms of countries, India is the most eye-catching, in March the EU imports of 135,000 tons of Indian cold rolled coil, an increase of 216%, imports of Indian hot rolled 106,000 tons, an increase of 1225%. The Turkey is the EU's largest source of imports of hot rolled imports in March, imports of hot rolled 154,000 tons, an increase of 126%, in the first quarter, total imports of 451,000 tons, an increase of 108%.
Market participants generally believe that the first quarter is the European steel imports peak period. In the past two months, imports has gradually declined, especially influenced by the EU on China's hot galvanized sheet launched anti-dumping investigation, China's hot galvanized sheet imports is expected to decline.