Exports decline for the third consecutive year. Analysis by the siderweb Research Office.
Italian steel exports (iron and steel products, pipes, and other primary processing products) continued to decline in 2025. Last year, steel exports fell in value by 5.7% compared to 2024, from €20.9 billion to €19.7 billion. This is according to data published by Istat and revised by the siderweb Research Office .
Results, caused by a progressive decline in both prices and quantities sold , which therefore record the third consecutive slowdown after the two-year growth period 2021-2022 (closed with +51.7% and +23.8%).
Exports fell by the same amount as imports, which also dropped 5.7% (€21.1 billion). Italy thus confirmed its position as a net importer of approximately €1.4 billion.
Looking at the data by province , we note that the top 20 steel provinces in Italy exported steel worth 16.3 billion euros, a 5.1% decrease compared to the 17.2 billion euros in 2024. The predominance of Lombardy's districts in the Top 10 is confirmed, consolidating the geography of Italian steel production hubs that was created after the 2008-2009 crisis.
Higher-than-average changes were recorded in Genoa (+8.3%), which rose to 18th place; Ravenna (+7.7%), which rose to 11th place; Verona (+5.5%), which dropped one place to 12th; and Brescia (+2.0%), which remained stable at the top.
The provinces that showed the most significant declines were Mantua (-14.9%), which dropped one position to fourth place; Milan (-12.8%), which remained stable in sixth place; Lecco (-12.1%), which fell to ninth place; and Aosta (-11.8%), which remained in 13th place.
The top three thus saw a shift compared to 2024: the province of Brescia remained in first place, followed by Udine and Cremona. Brescia sold €1.9 billion worth of steel outside Italy, up 2% compared to 2024. Supporting the partial recovery of the Brescia hub, after last year's declines, were positive performances in all three export categories: steel products (+0.5%), pipes (+7.4%), and other steel products (+4%).
Udine comes in second, with a value of €1.8 billion, a decline of 4.7%. This result has caused the Friulian province to widen its gap with Brescia, with the difference between the two areas increasing from approximately €3 million to €127 million. The declines are due to a contraction in shipments of steel products (-4.3%) and other steel-processing products (-8.2%).
Finally, the province of Cremona moved up one position compared to 2024 (overtaking Mantua) and recorded exports worth €1.5 billion, a 2.8% annual decrease. In particular, the Cremona hub saw an increase in sales of steel products (+3.2%), which mitigated the more than 8% decline in pipe exports.
Taranto (home to Acciaierie d'Italia) remained outside the Top 20 for the second consecutive year. Its export value fell from 362 million euros in 2022, to 281 million in 2023, to 70.4 million euros in 2024 (-75%) and to 42.0 million in 2025, a 40.3% drop compared to the previous year.
Terni (home of Arvedi Ast) gained ground thanks to a decline in exports (-7.3%), less than that of the Lecco hub (-12.1%). Exports of steel products decreased by 7.8% and those of pipes by 20.8%, while sales of other primary steel processing products increased by 19.7%.
Livorno (where JSW Steel Italy operates in Piombino) dropped from 23rd place in 2024 to return to the Top 20, ranking 19th. In 2025, the Livorno hub's exports were valued at €188 million, down 4.6% due to slowdowns in steel products and pipe sales abroad.
Valvitalia among the italian companies participating in the italy-egypt business forum in cairo.
President Salvatore Ruggeri: "Participation in the Forum confirms the value of the long-standing relationship with Egypt, consolidating a path of industrial collaboration and enhancing the capabilities of Italian industry." Chief Operating Officer Luca Ruggeri: "Egypt remains a key market for Valvitalia, with new opportunities linked to growing gas exports and strengthening collaboration between Italy and the North African country." Valvitalia participated in the Italy-Egypt Business Forum , held in Cairo, involving approximately 100 companies and over 600 professionals, including businesses and institutions from both countries. The event, which focused on sectors such as energy, green transition, infrastructure, and industrial technologies, was held with the aim of strengthening trade and investment, fostering new opportunities for collaboration. The Forum was held in the presence of Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani , as part of the institutional mission aimed at consolidating the partnership between Italy and Egypt. Also in attendance were Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and Minister of Labor and Social Policies Marina Calderone. Participation in the event confirms the importance of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region in Valvitalia's business. Overall, orders from the area represent nearly 30% of the Group's bookings, confirming the region's importance for business development. Valvitalia has been present in Egypt for over ten years and has built a significant portfolio of installed solutions supporting the country's energy infrastructure. Salvatore Ruggeri , President of Valvitalia , commented: "Participation in the Italy-Egypt Business Forum confirms the value of the relationships Valvitalia has built over time with the country and its institutional and industrial partners. Our presence in Egypt demonstrates the ability of Italian industry to provide expertise, technology, and manufacturing capabilities to support infrastructure development. Strengthening relations between Italy and Egypt is therefore an important step towards consolidating a long-term industrial collaboration." Luca Ruggeri , Chief Commercial Officer of Valvitalia, commented: "Egypt confirms its central role in our internationalization strategy. The evolution of the Egyptian energy system and, in particular, the investments aimed at strengthening gas export capacity open up new prospects for Valvitalia in a sector that represents our core business. The Mattei Plan also contributes to strengthening the framework of collaboration between the two countries and creating new development opportunities for Italian companies." In 2025, trade between Italy and Egypt reached 5.9 billion euros, an 11.7% increase compared to the previous year, while in the first five months of 2026 it recorded a further 7.5% increase. The growing collaboration between the two countries is also supported by the Mattei Plan , which identifies Egypt among the focus countries and priority partners.
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