Market evolution: Coiled steel wire (CN 72179020) — 2015–2025
Introduction
This report analyses the evolution of the EU's external trade in coiled steel wire with low carbon content, plated or coated (excluding base metals), classified under customs code 72179020. The period from 2015 to 2025 is characterised by significant transformations. Overall, the EU market experienced rising unit values alongside falling trade volumes, a shift in key trading partners, and increasing market concentration. This analysis is based on the provided annual data for EU trade with non-EU countries.
1. A Market of Rising Prices and Declining Volumes
The decade was defined by a fundamental divergence: while the value of trade remained relatively resilient or even grew, the physical volumes of wire traded shrank considerably.
The volume-value paradox in EU trade
Between 2015 and 2025, EU imports of this product fell in volume by 34.0%, from 13,372 to 8,827 tonnes. However, their value declined by only 10.6% to €12.7 million. This discrepancy is explained by a substantial increase in the average import price, which rose by 35.4% to €1,443 per tonne. A similar dynamic is observed in exports, where the volume plunged by 43.2% to 8,142 tonnes, but the value dropped by only 17.0% to €14.3 million, due to a 46.2% surge in export prices to €1,758 per tonne. The General Overview details these trends.
Price spikes reflect broader economic shocks
The steep rise in unit values, particularly accelerating after 2020, aligns with global trends in energy costs, raw material prices, and supply chain disruptions. The top shock events detected include a significant price abnormality for exports to the United States in 2022, coinciding with periods of high inflation and geopolitical tension affecting commodities.
The EU's trade surplus has eroded
In 2015, the EU held a trade surplus of €3.0 million. By 2025, this surplus had contracted sharply to just €1.6 million, a decline of 47.5%. This erosion, despite higher export prices, underscores the greater relative decline in export volumes compared to imports.
2. Shifting Geographies of Supply and Demand
The map of the EU's major trade partners for this wire product has been redrawn, with concentration increasing on the import side and diversification occurring on the export side.
China consolidated its position as the dominant supplier
China's share of EU imports grew significantly. Its import value to the EU increased by 28.8% over the period, reaching €7.6 million in 2025 and making it the largest supplier by a wide margin. This rise occurred as imports from other major 2015 partners collapsed: imports from Malaysia virtually disappeared (-100%), those from Ukraine fell by 88.4%, and those from Türkiye decreased by 10.5%. Detailed partner data is available in the partners dashboard.
EU exports became more focused on mature economies
The destination for EU exports shifted markedly. Exports to the United States grew by 553.2% to €3.5 million, and those to the United Kingdom increased by 81.6% to €3.0 million. In contrast, exports to Türkiye collapsed by 88.0%, and those to Albania disappeared almost entirely. This indicates a reorientation towards more stable, high-value markets.
Import concentration rose, while export concentration also increased
The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for imports increased by 40.3% to 3,902, indicating a less competitive and more concentrated import market, dominated by China. Export concentration also more than doubled (HHI change +108.5%), rising to 1,220, pointing to a greater reliance on a smaller number of key destination countries. This structural shift is detailed under concentration.
3. Structural Transformation and Regional Specialisation within the EU
Behind the aggregate EU figures lie significant changes in the internal production landscape and the specialisation of Member States.
Domestic production volume declined while its value grew
EU production volumes of this wire fell by 23.2% from over 3.8 billion kg to 2.96 billion kg. Yet, the value of production increased by 38.6% to €2.8 billion. This again reflects the industry-wide price inflation, suggesting that production has become more value-oriented, potentially shifting towards higher-grade or more processed products.
Specialisation is concentrated in Spain and Germany
The EU's export capacity in this product is highly specialised in two Member States. In 2025, Spain showed a very high Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) of 0.67, accounting for 29.4% of EU production value but only 5.8% of its total exports, indicating a strong focus on this product for export. Germany also showed clear specialisation (RSCA 0.32), producing 41.3% of the EU total by value. Most other Member States exhibit negative specialisation, meaning they are less specialised in this wire than in their average export basket. The specialisation dashboard provides the full breakdown.
The EU is a marginal net importer with growing trade intensity
After being a marginal net exporter in 2015 (net import reliance -0.2%), the EU became a net importer in 2025, with a net import reliance of +2.2%. Simultaneously, the trade intensity (the share of trade in domestic production) rose significantly from 15.1% to 23.8%. This combination suggests the EU's domestic market has become more integrated with and reliant on international supply chains, even as its own production volumes contracted. This vulnerability and intensity are measured in the Autonomy & Vulnerability section.
Conclusion
The market for coiled steel wire (CN 72179020) in the EU between 2015 and 2025 underwent a fundamental restructuring. The dominant story is one of deflation in volume but inflation in value, driven by global cost pressures and likely a shift in product mix towards higher-value outputs. The trade geography consolidated, with China becoming the unrivalled import leader and EU exports pivoting towards the US and UK. Internally, the industry saw production decline in physical terms but grow in value, with specialisation becoming heavily concentrated in Spain and Germany. These shifts culminated in the EU transitioning from a slight net exporter to a net importer, with its economy becoming more deeply entangled in international trade for this product. The market is smaller in volume, more expensive, more concentrated, and more externally reliant than it was a decade ago.