In February this year, Italian crude steel output decreased by 15 percent year on year to 2.123 million metric tons, according to the figures released by the Italian steel producers association Federacciai. February is the 11th month in a row of year-on-year decline, and also the fifth month in a row of double-digit year-on-year percentage decrease.

In the first two months of the current year, total Italian crude steel output amounted to 3.924 million mt, down about 815,000 mt or 17.2 percent compared to the same period of 2012.