Iran's Q1 Steel Output Rises by 10.7 Percent to 7.5 Million Tons

EghtesadOnline: Iranian steel mills produced a total of 7.5 million tons of crude steel during the first three months of 2021, which indicate a 10.7% rise compared with 2020, recording the second highest growth in the list of the world's top 10 steel producers.

News ID: ۷۸۶۳۹۶

27 April 2021

As per the latest report released by the World Steel Association, Iran's March output hit 2.6 million tons, up 10.7% YOY.

The report ranks Iran the world’s 10th biggest crude steel producer. China was the world’s largest crude steel producer in Q1 with 271 billion tons of steel output, up 15.6% YOY.

It was followed by India with 29.6 million tons (up 10.4%), Japan with 23.7 million tons (down 1.7%), the United States with 20.4 million tons (down 6.3%), Russia with 18.9 million tons (down 4.4%), South Korea with 17.6 million tons (up 3.8%), Germany with 10 million tons (up 1.7%) and Turkey with 9.8 million tons (up 9.5%).

Iran is placed after Brazil (ninth) with 8.7 million tons.

The world’s 64 steelmakers produced a total of 486.9 million tons of steel over the three months, up 10% YOY. States located in Asia and Oceania collectively produced 356.9 million tons of the total.

The Middle East produced 10.5 million tons of crude steel in the three months under review, posting an increase of 3.2% compared with the same period of last year.

Closure of businesses and disruption in industrial operations, as a result of the Covid-19 spread in early 2019, was among key factors causing a decline in the output of countries ranked above Iran last year. However, the world's major steel producers seem to have recovered their output in 2021.

Crude steel is defined as steel in its first solid (or usable) form: ingots and semi-finished products (billets, blooms and slabs). This is not to be confused with liquid steel, which is steel poured.

The World Steel Association is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world, with members in every major steel-producing country. Worldsteel represents steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations and steel research institutes. Members represent around 85% of global steel production.

The 64 countries included in this table accounted for approximately 99% of the total world crude steel production in 2019.

Iranian steel mills produced a total of 29.029 million tons of crude steel in 2020, which indicate a 13.35% rise compared with 2019, the highest growth in output in the list of the world's top 10 producers.

MSC: Biggest Producer in MENA

Located in southwestern Isfahan, Mobarakeh Steel Company is the biggest steel producer in Iran and the Middle East and North Africa region.

The steel mill recorded an 8% growth in its annual semi-finished steel output during the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2021).

With a production volume of 9.84 million tons of semi-finished products, the company topped the list of Iranian steel mills. The output registered an 8% year-on-year rise.

The company’s output during the 12th month of the year (Feb. 20-March 19) increased by 24% to reach 915,311 tons, latest figures released by Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization show.

Mobarakeh also topped the list of steel producers in finished products. MSC and its subsidiary Saba Steel Company produced 8.03 million tons of finished steel in the last fiscal year, unchanged compared with the year before.

In terms of semis production, MSC was followed by Khuzestan Steel Company with 3.78 million tons of output, which indicates a 3% growth compared with the year before.

KSC’s semi-finished output also grew by 6% during the 12th month of the year to reach 312,891 tons.

Esfahan Steel Company followed with 2.35 million tons of bloom output during last year, marking a decline of 3% year-on-year. The company's monthly output of semis dropped by 1% to 205,526 tons.

South Kaveh Steel Company with 1.39 million tons (up 20% YoY), Chadormalu Steel Company with 1.025 tons and Khorasan Steel Company with 940,402 tons (down 20% YOY) were other main producers of semi-finished products last year.

South Kaveh Steel Company ranked fourth in terms of monthly semi-output production and recorded the highest monthly growth during the month to March 19. The company’s output stood at 139,409 tons during the month under review, up 61%.

Sirjan Jahan Steel Company posted a 141% growth in semis output during the year under review, the highest growth among steel heavyweights.

Heavyweight Iranian steel mills under the IMIDRO study collectively produced 22.54 million tons of semi-finished products in the last fiscal year, recording an 8% growth year-on-year.

A total of 2.04 million tons of semi-finished steel were produced by these mills during the 12th month of the fiscal year, up 17% year-on-year.

As for production of finished products, MSC was followed by ESCO with 2.24 million tons (3% lower than the year before).

Other key producers of finished products were Khorasan Steel Company, Bonab Sheet Company, Ahvaz Rolling and Pipe Manufacturing Company, Azarbaijan Steel Company, Sirjan Steel Company and INSIG.

A total of 14.58 million tons of finished steel products, including hot- and cold-rolled coils, rebar, beams, pipes, wide and galvanized sheets, were produced by Iran’s major steelmakers in the last fiscal year, up 3% YOY.

Their output of finished steel products hit 1.24 million tons in the 12th fiscal month to register a 9% increase YOY.

As the IMIDRO report does not take into account the production of small-scale steel mills, the total output in Iran is higher than the quoted figures.

Another report will be released by the Iranian Steel Producers Association soon, which would include the output of all steelmakers in Iran in the last fiscal year.

ISPA’s latest report shows Iranian steelmakers produced a total of 47.93 million tons of semi-finished and finished steel products during the first 11 months of last fiscal year (March 20, 2020-Feb. 18).

Semis accounted for 27.72 million tons of the total output, up by 11% YOY.

Billet and bloom made up 17.35 million tons of semi-finished production, as slab output reached 10.36 million tons to register a 13% and 8% YOY rise, respectively.

The output of finished steel increased by 10% YOY to 20.21 million tons.

Long steel products had a 10.66 million-ton share in the output of finished steel products, posting a 15% growth YOY.

Rebar production stood at 8.748 million tons (up 17% YOY) and was followed by beams with 1.163 million tons (up 12% YOY) and L-beam, T-beam and other types with 757,000 tons (up 3% YOY).

Production of flat steel picked up during the 11-month period, increasing by 5% year-on-year to 9.543 million tons.

Hot-rolled coil made up 7.992 million tons of the production in this category, showing a 6% rise compared with the similar period of last year, followed by cold-rolled coil with 2.382 million tons, unchanged compared with the same period of last year and coated coil with 1.429 tons (down 9%).

Iran's output of direct reduced iron also grew by 9% to 27.842 million tons, ISPA data reveal.