Market evolution: Steel sanitary ware (CN 7324) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report analyses the trade evolution of steel sanitary ware (Combined Nomenclature code 7324) for the European Union with non-EU partners over the 2015-2025 period. The product category encompasses sinks, washbasins, baths, and other sanitary articles made of iron or steel. The period was marked by a fundamental reversal in the EU's trade position, driven by surging imports—particularly from China—amidst declining domestic production and export volumes. The analysis is based on official trade data.

From Surplus to Deficit: The EU's Fundamental Trade Reversal

The most significant macroeconomic trend was the EU's transformation from a net exporter to a net importer of steel sanitary ware. This shift was the result of diverging trajectories in export and import flows.

The Erosion of Export Volumes and the Rise in Export Prices

EU exports faced a severe contraction in physical volume, which was only partially offset by increasing unit values.

• Export quantity fell dramatically by 55.2%, from 59,813 tonnes in 2015 to 26,778 tonnes in 2025.
• Export value declined more moderately by 8.5%, from €373.1 million to €341.4 million, thanks to a 104.3% increase in the average export price (from €6,238/t to €12,743/t). This price surge suggests a shift in the EU's export basket towards higher-value-added products, even as overall competitiveness in terms of volume waned. The decline was led by key traditional partners; for example, exports to the United Kingdom fell by 41.2% in value, and to the Russian Federation by 84.8% (trade overview).

The Steady Growth of Import Volumes and Dependence

In contrast, imports grew consistently, underlining a growing reliance on external suppliers to meet EU demand.

• Import quantity increased by 35.7%, from 33,432 tonnes to 45,368 tonnes.
• Import value rose by 47.4%, from €256.8 million to €378.5 million. The more moderate price increase of 8.6% (from €7,680/t to €8,343/t) indicates that import growth was primarily volume-driven, with relatively stable pricing from suppliers.
• Consequently, the trade balance swung from a surplus of €116.3 million in 2015 to a deficit of €37.1 million in 2025, a 132% deterioration.

The Chinese Ascendancy and Geopolitical Realignment of Trade Partners

The period witnessed a dramatic geographical reorientation of EU trade, characterized by the dominant rise of China and a decline in exports to key geopolitical neighbours.

China's Dominance of EU Import Growth

China solidified its position as the overwhelmingly primary source of EU imports, accounting for the vast majority of the bloc's increased import dependency.

• China's share of EU import value surged from €140.1 million (2015) to €267.6 million (2025), a 91.0% increase. Its value at its peak (2022) reached €314.0 million.
• This concentration is reflected in the rising import Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), which increased by 55.0% from 3,344 to 5,183, indicating a market becoming more reliant on a single dominant supplier (concentration data).
• Other import suppliers grew from a much lower base (e.g., India: +336%, Türkiye: +57%), but none challenged China's scale.

The Retreat of EU Exports from Traditional Markets

EU exporters saw significant declines in several of their traditional non-EU markets.

• United Kingdom: The largest single export market, saw a 41.2% value decline, likely influenced by post-Brexit trade friction. Its volatility coefficient (CV of 0.24) was among the lower for export partners, however.
• Russian Federation: Exports collapsed by 84.8%, a clear consequence of geopolitical sanctions following 2022. This market also exhibited high volatility (CV = 0.75).
• Conversely, exports to Switzerland proved resilient, growing by 17.0%, while those to Norway grew by 33.8%, highlighting stable performance in nearby EEA/EFTA markets (partner data).

Internal Reconfiguration: Declining Production and Shifting Specialisation

Behind the trade flows, the EU's domestic industrial base for steel sanitary ware underwent a significant contraction and reshaped its competitive profile.

A Steep Decline in EU Production

PRODCOM data reveals a severe contraction in EU manufacturing output.

• Production quantity (in items) fell by 33.7%, from 93.8 million pieces in 2015 to 62.2 million in 2025, with a low point of 41.2 million in 2020.
• Production value declined by 39.7%, from €1.49 billion to €900 million. This decline in domestic production is a fundamental driver of the increased import reliance observed in trade data.

Evolving Intra-EU Specialisation

The export performance and specialisation of EU member states became more uneven.

• Germany remained the largest EU exporter by value but saw a 27.2% decline, from €164.3 million to €119.6 million.
• In contrast, several countries strengthened their export positions: Italy (+29.7%), Denmark (+97.4%), and Poland (+78.7%) all showed robust value growth.
• Specialisation indices (RSCA) for 2025 show Greece (RSCA=0.66) and Portugal (RSCA=0.57) as the most specialised exporters within the EU, suggesting niche strengths, while large economies like Germany and France are less specialised in this specific product category (specialisation data).

Product Segment Dynamics

The trade data at the 6-digit level reveals divergent paths within the broader category:

• Imports: The largest sub-category, "Other sanitary ware" (732490), drove import growth in both value and volume. Stainless steel sinks and washbasins (732410) also saw significant volume increases.
• Exports: The decline was broad-based but particularly steep for baths of cast iron (732421: -71.2% value) and steel sheet (732429: -45.0% value). Notably, the export price for cast iron baths (732421) increased dramatically from €2,397/t to €6,611/t, indicating a possible shift to very low-volume, high-value niche exports.

Conclusion

The 2015-2025 period defined a structural transformation for the EU's steel sanitary ware market. The bloc decisively shifted from being a net exporter to a net importer, a change underpinned by a 55% collapse in export volumes and a simultaneous 36% rise in import volumes. This transition was overwhelmingly fuelled by the growth of imports from China, which now dominates EU supply, raising questions about strategic dependency. Internally, the EU's manufacturing base contracted significantly, while the remaining export capacity became more geographically concentrated and, in some segments, repositioned towards higher-value niches. The market's future trajectory will likely be influenced by geopolitical trade policies, the cost-competitiveness of domestic producers, and the sustainability of current import reliance.