Semi-finished steel made up 414,000 tons or more than 62.63% of the total export volume to register a 53.54% year-on-year decline.
Billet and bloom had the lion’s share of semis exports with an aggregate of 343,000 tons to mark a 40% decline YOY. Slab followed with 71,000 tons, down 78% YOY.
Exports of finished steel products decreased 40% YOY to reach 247,000 tons.
Long steel products had the biggest share of finished products’ exports with a total of 222,000 tons (89.88%) to register a 24% decline YOY.
Rebar was the main exported product in this category with 188,000 tons, registering a fall of 24% YOY, followed by L-beam, T-beam and other types with 18,000 tons (down 28% YOY) and beams with 16,000 (down 27% YOY).
The exports of flat steel products amounted to 25,000 tons during the period, indicating a significant decline of 79% YOY.
Hot-rolled coil grabbed the lion’s share in this category with 11,000 tons to witness an 87% decrease YOY.
Next was cold-rolled coil with 8,000 tons, down by 62% YOY, and coated coil with 6,000 tons, down 54% YOY.
Exports of direct-reduced iron also fell 87% YOY to 20,000 tons.
Khouzestan Steel Company Ranks First
As the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization reported more than 144,663 tons of exports during the period, Khouzestan Steel Company was Iran's biggest exporter.
The mill experienced a year-on-year decline of 64% in exports.
Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO) was the second biggest exporter as it shipped out 100,804 tons of products, down 34% compared with last year's corresponding period.
Mobarakeh Steel Company ranked third, as it exported 15,632 tons in two months, down 91% compared with last year's corresponding period.
South Kaveh Steel Company exported 70,000 tons of billets, down 33% YOY. The company also exported 10,000 tons of direct-reduced iron in the two months, down 27% YOY.
Hormozgan Steel Company exported 31,566 tons of slabs, down 80% YOY.
Bonab Steel Company exported 4,550 tons of rebar during the two months, up 349% YOY.
Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex exported 27,429 tons of billets in the two months.
Rise in Imports
The ISPA report also shows imports of finished steel products stood at 87,000 tons during the same period under review, to register a 36% increase YOY.
No semi-finished steel imports were recorded in the first two months to May 20, similar to the corresponding period of last year.
The imports mostly included flat steel products with 84,000 tons, up 83% YOY. Coated coil was the top product in this category with 32,000 tons, up 68% YOY, followed by HRC with 27,000 tons, up 69% YOY, and CRC with 25,000 tons, up 127% YOY.
Imports of long steel products stood at 3,000 tons, indicating an 83% decline YOY. Rebars accounted for 2,000 tons of the imports (down 71% YOY), followed by L-beam, T-beam and other types with only 1,000 tons, down 88% YOY.
The imports of beams reached zero in the two-month period, while 3,000 tons of the product were imported during the corresponding period of last year.
Two-Month Output at 8.17m Tons
Iranian steelmakers produced close to 8.17 million tons of semi-finished and finished steel products from March 20 to May 20 to register a 1.45% year-on-year increase.
According to the Iranian Steel Producers Association’s latest report, semi-finished steel made up around 4.69 million tons of the total output, up 4% YOY.
Billet and bloom made up 2.69 million tons of semi-finished production while slab output hit 1.99 million tons to register a 2% decline and 13% rise respectively YOY.
As for finished steel, the output decreased by 1% YOY to stand at more than 3.47 million tons.
Flat steel products had the lion’s share of finished steel production with 1.81 million tons, down 1% YOY. HRC made up 1.57 million tons of the production in this category, showing a 1% decline compared with the similar period of last year, followed by CRC with 429,000 tons that registered a 48% rise YOY, and coated coil with 211,000 tons (down 9% YOY).
Long steel products had a 1.66 million-ton share in the output of finished steel products, posting a 1% decline YOY. Rebar had a major share here with 1.34 million tons (up 2% YOY), followed by beams with 201,000 tons (down 11% YOY) and L-beam, T-beam and other types with 122,000 tons (down 9% YOY).
Direct-reduced iron production stood at 5.55 million tons during the two-month period, indicating an 11% growth YOY.