Slight Decline in Apparent Steel Usage Over Three Months

EghtesadOnline: Iran's apparent steel usage, defined as production plus imports minus exports, sometimes also adjusted for changes in inventories, decreased in the first quarter of the current Iranian year (March 21-June 21) compared with last year's corresponding period.

News ID: ۷۸۶۷۳۹

27 July 2021

According to the Iranian Steel Producers Association, apparent usage stood at 6.4 million tons for semi-finished products, registering a 1% decrease compared with last year's corresponding period.

It totaled 4.6 million tons for finished products, posting a 2% decline year-on-year, according to ISPA.

Flat steel products accounted for the largest portion of finished steel consumption with 2.34 million tons, down 4% YOY.

Among flat steel products, hot-rolled coil had the biggest share of apparent usage with 2.2 million tons (down 5% YOY), followed by cold-rolled coil with 728,000 tons (up 6% YOY) and coated coil with 371,000 tons (up 16% compared with the same period of last year).

Long steel products accounted for 2.33 million tons of finished steel apparent usage, unchanged from last year.

Rebar grabbed the biggest share in this section with 1.8 million tons, down 1% YOY, followed by beams with 285,000 tons (up 6% YOY) and L-beam, T-beam and other types with 177,000 tons (up 6% compared with the same period of last fiscal year).

As for semis, apparent usage of billet and bloom amounted to 3.8 million tons, up 2% compared with the same period of last year. The use of slab also decreased by 7% to 2.6 million tons during the first two months of the year.

DRI usage increased by 4% to 8.4 million tons, during the period under review.

Production

According to ISPA, a total of 8.07 million tons of semi-finished steel were produced in Iran in Q1, up 6% year over year.

Billet and bloom made up 4.88 million tons of semi-finished production, up 7% YOY.

Slab output reached 3.2 million tons to register a 6% year-on-year rise.

The output of finished steel increased by 7% YOY to 5.4 million tons.

Long steel products had a 3.1 million-ton share in the output of finished steel products, posting a 16% growth compared with the similar period of last year.

Rebar production stood at 2.55 million tons (up 17% YOY). It was followed by beams with 318,000 tons (up 7% YOY) and L-beam, T-beam and other types with 232,000 tons (up 20% YOY).

Production of flat steel with 2.3 million tons registered a 3% YOY decline in the three-month period.

Hot-rolled coil made up 2.25 million tons of the production in this category, showing a 2% decline compared with the similar period of last year, followed by cold-rolled coil with 650,000 tons, down 1% compared with the same period of the last year and coated coil with 398,000 (up 24%).

Iran's output of direct reduced iron grew by 8% to 8.76 million tons, ISPA data show.

Exports

First quarter exports stood at 1.62 million tons for semi-finished products, up 55% year-on-year.

Billet and bloom had the lion’s share of semis exports with an aggregate of 1.06 million tons, 26% higher than the previous corresponding period.

Slab exports stood at 563,000 tons during the period, up 176% YOY.

The export of finished steel products jumped by 125% to 873,000 tons during the three months under review.

Rebar accounted for the largest portion of finished steel products exported from Iran during the period, with 684,000 tons. The total volume of Iran’s rebar exports experienced a 142% growth compared with the same period of last year.

Beam exports amounted to 36,000 tons, up 33% YOY.

Nearly 64,000 tons of L-beam, T-beam and other types were also exported from Iran during the period, recording a 94% YOY rise.

Hot-rolled coil exports hit 57,000 tons, registering a 171% growth compared with Q1 of the year before.

Cold-rolled coil with 1,000 tons registered an 89% decline year-on-year.

Coated coil with 31,000 tons, up 107% YOY, was the other finished steel products exported from Iran.

Exports of direct-reduced iron increased by 1,505% YOY to 321,000 tons, ISPA figures show.

Imports

The import of semi-finished steel stood at 1,000 tons in Q1, unchanged compared to last year’s corresponding period.

Iran did not import any billet and bloom during the period, which stood at 1,000 tons in the same period of last year.

Slab imports stood at 1,000 tons. Iran did not import any slab in last year's same period.

The import of finished steel rose by 2% YOY to 194,000 tons and mostly included HRC with 45,000 tons, down 48%; CRC with 79,000 tons, up 80%; coated coil with 50,000, up 4%; L-beam, T-beam and other types with 9,000 tons, up 29%; rebar with 8,000 tons, up 60% and beam with 3,000 tons, up 100%.