Germany's Steel Import and Export Trends in January-October 2024

Germany's imports of rolled steel products from non-EU countries declined by 5.3% year-on-year (y/y) during January-October 2024, totaling 630.91 thousand tons.

Long Steel Imports Dominate
Long steel products comprised the majority of imports, reaching 497.54 thousand tons (-5.2% y/y) and accounting for over 78% of Germany's total steel imports during this period. Flat steel imports decreased by 5.8% y/y to 133.37 thousand tons. Key imported long products included:

Wire rod (HS 7213): 140.77 thousand tons (+104.6% y/y)
Rebar (HS 7214): 84.33 thousand tons (-32.3% y/y)
Other rods, bars, and hollow bars (HS 7228): 63.26 thousand tons (-36.2% y/y)
In October 2024, rolled steel imports to Germany amounted to 70.25 thousand tons (-8.8% y/y), with long steel imports falling 15.5% y/y to 49.56 thousand tons and flat steel imports declining 12.5% y/y to 20.69 thousand tons.

Steel Exports Grow
Conversely, Germany’s steel exports rose 12% y/y over the 10-month period, reaching 3.15 million tons. Exports of long steel products increased by 11.5% y/y to 1.28 million tons, while flat steel exports grew 12.4% y/y to 1.87 million tons. Key exported products included:

Coated flat products (HS 7210): 723.39 thousand tons (+32.2% y/y)
Angles, shapes, and special profiles (HS 7216): 419 thousand tons (+31.5% y/y)
Flat products of other alloy steels (HS 7228): 411.62 thousand tons (+13.3% y/y)
In October alone, steel exports rose 21.2% y/y to 333.33 thousand tons. Exports of long products surged 30.5% y/y to 147.15 thousand tons, while flat products increased 14.8% y/y to 186.18 thousand tons.

Germany's Position in Global Steel Production
As one of the top ten steel producers globally, Germany ranked 8th in 2023 with an output of 35.4 million tons, despite a 3.9% y/y decline in production. That year, imports of rolled steel products fell 31.9% compared to 2022, reaching 759.99 thousand tons, while exports dropped 7.8% to 3.36 million tons.