This figure was influenced by the almost complete cessation of imports by Germany and the Netherlands

In January-May 2025, the European Union reduced imports of direct reduced iron (DRI) by 15.8% compared to the same period in 2024, to 1.01 million tons. This is evidenced by GMK Center calculations based on Eurostat data.

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

Italy – 547,740 tons (+77% y-o-y);

Austria – 146.08 thousand tons (+29% y-o-y);

Spain – 108.81 thousand tons (+3.9% y-o-y).

The almost complete cessation of imports by Germany and the Netherlands had a negative impact on import volumes. In particular, 304.57 thousand tons of DRI were shipped to the German market in January-May 2024, while this year only 25.62 thousand tons were shipped, and 122.06 thousand tons were shipped to the Dutch market compared to 8 tons in the first five 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-May, Russian companies shipped 353,190 tons of direct reduced iron to European consumers, which is 3% less than in the same period last year.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form