The industry of fabricated metal goods covers a wide range of products including tools and finished metal goods (accounting for some 40 percent of production), castings, forgings, boilers and metal containers, as well as secondary transformation on contract basis, such as treatment and coating of metals.

The value of production for the sector in the year 2009 is estimated at €379 billion. The number of employees is estimated at a level of 3.6 million.

The industry produces, to a large extent, inputs or products used in other sectors in engineering, such as machinery and motor car industry. Demand from those sectors fell dramatically in 2009.

As a result, output is estimated to have fallen by 18 percent during 2009.

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Picture Courtesy of Orgalime