In 2015, shipments of strip mill products to steel end use segments by European flat steel service centers did increase by +6 % when compared with 2014.
Comparing December 2015 with December 2014, shipments of strip mill products have been growing by +8 %, year-on-year.
On the other hand, shipments by European multi-product & proximity steel stockholding distribution noted a rather negative run in December 2015.
December 2015 shipments decreased by – 16 % when compared to December 2014.
For the total year of 2015, sales of the segment Multi-product & Proximity Distribution business registered a negative score.
In 2015, shipments by this distribution segment were lower by -3 % when compared to 2014.
Commenting the developments in EU flat SSC segment, Cesare Vigano, EUROMETAL Vice-president, indicated that EU SSC shipments were supported by positive business in automotive and related industries and that in 2015 the SSC market in Southern Europe showed signs of recovery in shipments, unfortunately with economic KPI’s still on unsatisfactory level, due to permanent imbalance between offer and real consumption, calling for further progress in market consolidation process.
Mikael Nyquist, EUROMETAL Vice-president, outlined that European Multi-Product & Proximity Steel Stockholding Distribution was suffering in 2015 and that in a longer term further restructuring and consolidation will be looming in order to balance capacities also in this steel distribution segment with the perspectives of the market for multi-products & proximity steel distribution.