The mill experienced a year-on-year decline of 17% in exports during the nine months to Dec. 21 and a 22% drop in the ninth month under review, latest data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization show.
The steelmaker, located in the southwestern Khuzestan Province, exports to over a dozen countries, according to Financial Tribune.
About half of KSC's exports goes to the Middle East and North Africa region. Its other major export destinations are located in the Far East and the Americas.
Mobarakeh Steel Company, located in Isfahan, was the second biggest exporter during the nine-month period, as it shipped 1.1 million tons of products, up 47% compared with last year's corresponding period.
The company is the largest steelmaker in the Middle East and North Africa region and one of the largest industrial complexes operating in Iran.
During the ninth month, MSC exported 99,047 tons to register a 648% growth YOY.
Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO) ranked third as it exported 881,752 tons during the nine months, up 30% compared with last year's corresponding period.
During the month to Dec. 21, ESCO exported 102,678 tons to register a YOY increase of 603%.
Most steel producers registered growth during the nine-month period under review.
South Kaveh Steel Company exported 608,100 tons of billets, up 23% YOY. The company also exported 69,210 tons of direct-reduced iron in the nine months, up 64% YOY.
Hormozgan Steel Company exported 593,775 tons of slabs, up 19% YOY.
Khorasan Steel Company shipped 197,265 tons of bloom, indicating a 79% growth YOY. In addition, the company exported 11,058 tons of rebar, down 80% YOY.
Chadormalou Mining and Industrial Company exported 189,377 tons of billets during the nine months.
Saba Steel Company exported 107,070 tons of hot briquettes, up 261% YOY.
Iran Alloy Steel Company shipped 46,648 tons of rebar, up 24% YOY.
Bonab Steel Company exported 29,722 tons of rebar, up 1,750% YOY, while the company exported 449 tons of “other” products during the period, up by 373% YOY.
From the ninth-month perspective, the highest growth was registered by Iran Alloy Steel Company that exported 3,143 tons of rebar during the month, up by 3,143% YOY.
The above steelmakers, considered Iran’s major producers, exported a total of 5.2 million tons during the nine months under review to register a year-on-year growth of 19%.
They shipped 485,611 tons during the ninth month of the year, which shows a 91% increase compared with the same month of the year before.
The IMIDRO report will be followed by a more comprehensive one by the Iran Steel Producers Association, which also includes data for small-scale steel mills.
The heavyweight steelmakers exported 5.54 million tons of steel during the last Iranian fiscal year (ended March 20, 2019) to register a year-on-year decline of 25%.
With a total of 2.18 million tons of exports over the 12 months, Khouzestan Steel Company was also Iran's biggest steel exporter last year.
According to World Steel Association's latest data, Iran is the 10th biggest steel producer in the world as it produced 23.64 million tons of crude steel during the 11 months of 2019 (January-November), up 5.3% compared with the corresponding period of 2018.
Iran is aggressively pursuing the target of becoming the world’s sixth largest steel producer as per the 20-Year Vision Plan, which targets annual production capacity expansion to 55 million tons and exports of 20-25 million tons by 2025. Iranian steel mills have so far realized about 34 million tons of the capacity target.
According to Deputy Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Khodadad Gharibpour, Iranian steel industry is an export-oriented one that exports more than 40% of its steel output.