According to the European Steel Association (EUROFER), in December last year EU-27 flat steel imports amounted to 619,000 mt, while long steel imports totaled 175,000 mt. Accordingly, overall EU finished steel imports in December totaled 794,000 mt, down 24.23 percent month on month and down 15.17 percent compared to the same month of 2011. The figures for December are extremely depressed, similar to those witnessed in August 2009 in the middle of the global economical crisis.