The European Union imported 2.95 million tons of iron and steel products from Russia during January–June 2025, marking a 2.7% year-on-year increase. Despite ongoing sanctions, Russian metallurgical exports to the EU generated €1.22 billion in revenue, revealing both the persistence of trade and the limitations of current EU restrictions.
Russian Semi-Finished Steel Leads EU Imports in 2025
The majority of these imports consisted of semi-finished steel products, totaling 1.84 million tons, up 7.8% from the same period in 2024. Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Denmark were the top EU consumers. Italy, in particular, saw a 22.6% year-on-year increase, importing 435,770 tons of semi-finished Russian steel.
Pig iron imports also surged, reaching 697,000 tons, a 35.3% increase, with Italy again leading the intake at 524,620 tons. Russian exporters earned €254.45 million from pig iron sales to the EU. However, direct reduced iron (DRI) volumes fell 35.4% year-on-year to 374,180 tons, highlighting shifts in demand and potential supply constraints.
Monthly Data Shows Fluctuations and Weak Sanctions Enforcement
In June 2025, EU imports of Russian iron and steel products totaled 382,730 tons, up 15.3% year-on-year but down 15.9% compared to May. While semi-finished steel imports jumped 106.5% year-on-year to 355,720 tons, pig iron shipments dropped to zero. DRI imports in June also plummeted 81.2% month-on-month, signaling volatile trade flows.
Revenue from Russian steel exports to the EU reached €163.32 million in June alone, 3.3% higher than in June 2024. This trend underscores the continued financial benefit for Russian producers despite formal trade restrictions. In 2024, the EU imported 5.34 million tons of Russian iron and steel, with a total value exceeding €2.5 billion—a figure that reflects exemptions and enforcement gaps within current EU sanction mechanisms.
SuperMetalPrice Commentary:
The sustained flow of Russian steel into the EU, despite multiple sanctions, reveals critical weaknesses in enforcement and policy design. While some product categories like ferroalloys have virtually disappeared from EU-Russia trade, core materials such as semi-finished steel and pig iron continue to enter European markets in large volumes. This raises pressing questions for policymakers about the balance between industrial demand and geopolitical strategy. As energy and raw material security become central to EU economic planning, future restrictions will likely target loopholes that allow such imports to persist.
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