In the first quarter of 2024, sales by Germany's stockholding distributors totaled 823,000 tonnes, marking a 12% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. Notably, March 2024 saw a significant decline in sales to 817,000 tonnes from 1.05 million tonnes in March 2023. The drop was more moderate for flat products, decreasing by nearly 7% to 522,000 tonnes, while long products experienced a substantial 22% decline to 298,000 tonnes. This decline is attributed to a slowdown in the construction sector, impacting long products like rebar and structural steel. Overall inventories at the end of March were notably lower than the previous year, with flat product inventories at 1.29 million tonnes and longs at 646,000 tonnes.