EU reduced imports of direct reduced iron by 25% y/y in January-July

In January-July 2025, the European Union reduced imports of direct reduced iron (DRI) by 24.5% compared to the same period in 2024, to 1.28 million tons. This is evidenced by GMK Center calculations based on Eurostat data.

The main importers of direct reduced iron among EU countries for the period are Italy, Spain, and Austria, in particular:

• Italy – 606.81 thousand tons (+23.9% y/y);
• Austria – 209.16 thousand tons (+25.3% y/y);
• Spain – 168.84 thousand tons (+5.3% y/y).

A significant decline in imports by Germany and the Netherlands had a negative impact on import volumes. In particular, 383.5 thousand tons of DRI were shipped to the German market in January-July 2024, while this year only 25.63 thousand tons were shipped, and 154.08 thousand tons were shipped to the Netherlands, compared to 42.35 thousand tons in the first seven months of 2025. At the same time, a sharp increase in imports by Italian metallurgists and moderate growth in demand from other key consumers limited a deeper decline in the indicator.

Russia is the largest supplier of DRI to the European Union. In January-July, Russian companies shipped 441.68 thousand tons of direct reduced iron to European consumers, which is 33.7% less than in the same period last year.

The main importers of Russian products are Italy (233.44 thousand tons, down 36.6% year-on-year) and Poland (54.99 thousand tons, down 44.9% year-on-year). Belgium and Spain imported 84 thousand tons of DRI (-20.5% y/y) and 69.2 thousand tons (+16.9% y-o-y), respectively.

Libya shipped 174.62 thousand tons of DRI to the EU in seven months, reducing the figure by 48.4% y/y. Venezuela exported 368.3 thousand tons of the corresponding products to the European Union (+2.02 times y/y). Supplies from Venezuela are showing significant growth, indicating a reorientation of supply chains. In 2023, 133 thousand tons of DRI were imported from this direction, and in 2024 – 293.98 thousand tons. The US sent 229.88 thousand tons of products to the EU (+3.9% y/y).

In July, the EU imported 137.2 thousand tons of DRI, which is 60.5% less y/y and 0.2% m/m.

Russia exported 67.5 thousand tons of raw materials to the EU during the month (-22.3% y/y; +222% m/m), Libya – 18.1 thousand tons (-80.5% y/y; did not supply in June). Venezuela exported 10 thousand tons (-88.4% month-on-month; -91.5% year-on-year), and the US exported 36.05 thousand tons (+29.6% month-on-month; +42.8% year-on-year).

As a reminder, at the end of 2024, the EU increased its imports of direct reduced iron from third countries by 5.4% compared to 2023, to 2.75 million tons. In 2023, there was an 11.1% y/y decline. The largest importers of DRI among EU member states last year were: Italy – 659.73 thousand tons (-23.7% y/y), the Netherlands – 527.27 thousand tons (+423%), Germany – 438.46 thousand tons (-33.5%).