According to statistics released by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, the volume of trade in major steel products and ferroalloys in France decreased slightly in value terms in the first quarter of 2026, with both imports and exports declining compared to the same period last year.
In the period from January to March, imports of basic steel products and ferroalloys to France amounted to 2.31 billion euros, which is 2.1% less than in the same period last year. Among the main product categories, imports of steel pipes increased by 1.5% to 520.2 million euros, while cold-rolled steel products increased by 2.0% to 135.46 million euros. For comparison, imports of cold-rolled steel strip decreased by 7.3% to 162.36 million euros, cold-drawn wire - by 6.9% to 118.8 million euros, and metal structures and parts - by 11.9% to 600.25 million euros.
As for exports, the volume of exports of major types of steel products and ferroalloys from France in the first quarter amounted to 2.37 billion euros, which is 1.9% less than in the same period last year. Exports of steel pipes decreased by 7.3% to 286.78 million euros, while shipments of metal structures and components decreased by 0.9% to 220.34 million euros. However, exports of cold-rolled steel increased by 7.7% to 120.8 million euros, cold-rolled steel strip - by 9.5% to 166.93 million euros, and cold-drawn wire - by 4.4% to 80.52 million euros.
Despite the overall decline in foreign trade, France maintained a slight trade surplus for major steel products and ferroalloys during the quarter, with exports exceeding imports by about 60 million euros.
Author: Editorial staff of SteelOrbis
Steelorbis.com
