In March, Moscow became the second main supplier of iron and steel to the EU, increasing its exports by 1.7 times, up to 328 million euros (in monthly terms). This is the highest number since May 2023, when EU countries bought 369 million euros' worth of these metals.
Belgium became the number one buyer, as the country increased its imports by 3.5 times, up to 130.5 million euros. This was Belgium’s largest purchase since June 2022. Italy increased its purchases by 25%, to 85 million euros, and Denmark did so by 30%, to 35.1 million euros.
The top five buyers also include the Czech Republic (23 million euros) and the Netherlands (20 million euros). Meanwhile, Hungary resumed imports from Russia following a four-month break, buying iron and steel worth 13.7 million euros.
At the same time, Russia’s aluminum shipments rose by 29% month-on-month to 91.4 million euros, the highest figure since October 2023.
The export growth can be explained by rising demand from Germany. The country has seen a fivefold surge of aluminum imports, which stand at 22.4 million euros today. Spain (+69%) and Poland (+21%) also both expanded their imports.