Major Steel Producers, Exporters Under IMIDRO Review

EghtesadOnline: Mobarakeh Steel Company produced 7.21 million tons of semi-finished products in the current fiscal year’s first nine months (March 21-Dec. 21), down 5% year-on-year.

News ID: ۷۸۷۶۷۵

24 January 2022

The steelmaker also produced 5.77 million tons of finished steel during the period, down 4% YOY, according to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization.

Located in southwestern Isfahan, Mobarakeh Steel Company is the biggest steel producer not only in Iran but also in the Middle East and North Africa region.

In terms of semis production, MSC was followed by Khuzestan Steel Company with 2.42 million tons of output in the nine months.

Esfahan Steel Company came next with 1.75 million tons of semis output and was followed by South Kaveh Steel Company with 1.03 million tons, Chadormalu Steel Company with 759,430 tons and Khorasan Steel Company with 688,326 tons during the period under review.

In terms of finished products, MSC was followed by ESCO with 1.65 million tons. Other key producers of finished products were Kavir Steel Company, Oxin Steel Company, Khorasan Steel Company, Bonab Sheet Company, Azarbaijan Steel Company and Sirjan Steel Company.

MSC also topped the list of Iranian steelmakers both in semi-finished and finished steel production during the current fiscal year’s ninth month (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) by producing 882,906 and 688,827 tons of semis and finished steel products respectively.

According to the Iranian Steel Producers Association, Iranian steelmakers produced 21.09 million tons of semi-finished products during the period, down 8% year-on-year.

Billet and bloom made up 12.47 million tons of total semi-finished production, down 13% YOY.

Slab output reached 8.62 million tons to register a 2% decline year-on-year.

The output of finished steel decreased by 5% YOY to 14.72 million tons.

Long steel products had an 8.43 million-ton share in the output of finished steel products, posting a 3% decline compared with the similar period of last year.

Rebar production stood at 6.91 million tons (down 3% YOY). It was followed by beams with 912,000 tons (down 6% YOY) and L-beam, T-beam and other types with 610,000 tons (down 1% YOY).

Production of flat steel with 6.29 million tons registered a 9% YOY decline.

Hot-rolled coil comprised 6.19 million tons in this category, showing a 6% YOY decline, followed by cold-rolled coil with 1.86 million tons, down 9% YOY, and coated coil with 1.11 down 7% compared with last year’s corresponding period.

The output of direct reduced iron stood at 23.8 million tons during the period under review, up 2% YOY.

The decline in production is due to electricity restrictions in summer and limitations imposed on gas supplied to steelmakers in the cold season.

According to IMIDRO, Khouzestan Steel Company exported 1.33 million tons of products in the nine-month period to register a 21% year-on-year rise and top the list of Iranian exporters.

KSC's exports in the ninth month of the year stood at 215,359 tons, 42% higher compared with the same period of last year.

Mobarakeh Steel Company came next with 918,424 tons of exports during the nine-month period, up 14% YOY.

MSC exported 103,700 tons of steel products in the period, down 17% YOY. It was followed by Esfahan Steel Company with 843,268 tons of exports, 16% higher YOY.

The company's exports during the month ending Dec. 21 stood at 76,638 tons, 17% less YOY.

Khorasan Steel Complex registered the highest growth of 949% in export volume with 61,637 tons during the nine-month period. The company’s monthly exports registered the highest growth in terms of volume, with 3,169 tons of exports, up 242%.

According to ISPA, a total of 5.19 million tons of semi-finished steel products were exported from Iran during the Q1-3 period, up 16% compared with the previous year’s similar period.

Billet and bloom had the lion’s share of semis exports with an aggregate volume of 3.47 million tons, 1% higher than the output of the previous year’s corresponding period.

Slab exports amounted to 1.72 million tons during the period, up 67% year-on-year.

Exports of finished steel products grew by 25% to 2.48 million tons during the nine months.

Rebar accounted for the largest portion of finished steel products exported from Iran during the period, with 1.77 million tons. The total volume of Iran’s rebar exports experienced a 44% growth compared with the same period of last year.

Beam exports amounted to 111,000 tons during the period under review, down 20% YOY.

About 145,000 tons of L-beam, T-beam and other types were also exported from Iran during the period, down 1% YOY.

Hot-rolled coil exports amounted to 354,000 tons, registering a 9% decline compared with the year before.

Cold-rolled coil with 15,000 tons registered a 40% decline year-on-year and coated coil with 85,000 tons, up 44% YOY, was the other finished steel product exported from Iran.

Exports of direct-reduced iron increased by 92% YOY to 869,000 tons, ISPA figures show.

Decline in Imports

Imports of finished steel declined by 14% YOY to 586,000 tons during the three quarters (March 21- Dec. 21).

The imports mostly included HRC with 98,000 tons, down 63%; CRC with 215,000 tons, up 26%; coated coil with 168,000, down 6%; L-beam, T-beam and other types with 28,000 tons, down 22% YOY; rebar with 23,000 tons, up 5% and beam with 13,000 tons, up 63%.

Semi-finished steel imports made up 4,000 tons of the total import volume, unchanged YOY.

Iran imported 2,000 tons of billet and bloom in the period, down 33% YOY. Slab imports stood at 2,000 tons, up 100% from last year's same period.

Iran did not import DRI during the period under review.

Crude Steel Production Capacity Tops 40m tons

The installed capacity of crude steel production in Iran has exceeded 40 million tons per year, according to deputy minister of industries, mining and trade, Vajiollah Jafari.

“The annual production of steel ingots exceeded 30 million tons,” Jafari was also quoted as saying by IRNA during the 8th Steelprice Conference held recently.

“There are about 36 million tons of direct reduced iron, 66.7 million tons of pellets and 62.7 million tons of [iron ore] concentrate installed capacity in the domestic steel industry, but at the same time we are facing problems in supplying raw materials,” he added.

The official said the target capacity of 55 million tons of steel ingots is expected to be achieved in the fiscal 2025-26, of which 40 million tons have been realized and another 7 million tons will be added in the current fiscal year (ending March 2022).

Jafari noted that $21.5 billion have been invested in the steel industry.

The electricity required by steel industry amounts to 8,000-9,000 megawatts, of which 6,000 megawatts are currently in use and a further 12,500 megawatts are required for the development projects. He stressed that gas feedstock is also required by the steel industry.