Distributors storing in a warehouse in Germany sold 2.495 million tons of steel in the first quarter, Kallanish learns from the figures provided by distributors of the BDS Federation.
The tonnage represents a small, 50,000 T increase for Q1 2025. This is the second year in a row that the first quarter has seen growth compared to the same period last year. However, the consistent price increases have yet to offset the 5% year-on-year drop seen in the first quarter of 2024.
In the first quarter of this year, some differences between product groups were noted. Sales of flat rolled products, which account for about 60% of shareholder sales in Germany, totaled 1,539 million tons this year, which is almost the same as in the first quarter of 2025.
The volume of sales of rolled products, which traditionally accounts for about 30% of total sales, increased significantly - from 90,000 to 794,000 tons. The trend towards an increase in the production of long products was noted last year.
BDS does not explain the differences in growth dynamics across product groups.
Another notable change occurred from January to February, when total sales increased by 75,000 tons month-on-month. Last year, a similar jump occurred from February to March.
The sales volume of the "Other goods" category, which, in particular, includes wire rod, amounted to 246,000 tons, an increase of about 11,000 tons over the year.
Author: Christian Kel
Kallanish.com
