Iran 10-Month Steel Output Exceeds 34m Tons

According to statistics released by Iran Steel Producers Association, semi-finished steel made up 18.36 million tons of the total output, up 19% year-over-year.

'Billet and bloom' output stood at 9.9 million tons while that of slab reached 8.46 million tons, recording a 23% and 15% YOY growth respectively.

As for finished steel, the output increased 9% YOY to reach 16.39 million tons.

Finished steel production has followed a rising trend this year for all products, except for rebar.

Hot-rolled coil had the lion’s share of finished steel production with 6.41 million tons, up 10% YOY, followed by rebar with 5.16 million tons, down 7% YOY; cold-rolled coil with 1.95 million tons, up 26% YOY; coated coil with 1.25 million tons, up 42% YOY; beams with 905,000 tons, up 5% YOY; and “other steel products” with 703,000 tons, up 123% YOY.

Iran’s direct-reduced iron production is also registering a healthy growth. It stood at 18.54 million tons during the period, indicating a 23% rise YOY.

Major Iranian steelmakers exported 5.79 million tons of semis and finished steel in the 10 months, up 33% YOY, according to statistics released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization.

Khouzestan Steel Company was the biggest exporter in the period with 2.22 million tons, up 46% YOY. It was followed by veteran long steel producer Esfahan Steel Company with 920,584 tons, up 98% YOY; Hormozgan Steel Company with 945,502 tons, up 16%; Iran’s largest flat steel producer Mobarakeh Steel Company with 880,054 tons, down 39%; South Kaveh Steel Company with 645,000 tons; Khorasan Steel Company with 108,087 tons, up 98%; Iran Alloy Steel Company with 58,993 tons, up 69%; and Khouzestan Oxin Steel Company with 15,318 tons, down 9%.

IMIDRO statistics show that the export volume for the 10th Iranian month (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) stood at 686,025 tons, up 142% year-on-year.

Exports have been continuously on the rise this year month-on-month, except for the seventh and second months of the Iranian year respectively.

Iran’s main export destinations include the UAE, Italy, Thailand, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Oman, Egypt, Taiwan, Iraq, Turkey, India, Sudan, Jordan, Belgium and Spain.

Based on goals set in the 20-Year Vision Plan, Iran intends to export 8 million tons of steel by the end of the current fiscal year (March 20), 9.5 million tons in the fiscal 2018-19 and 14 million tons in March 2020-21.

The industry also plans to increase its crude steelmaking capacity to 55 million tons by 2025 and become the world’s sixth largest steelmaker. 

Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari said about 30 million tons of the target capacity have been realized so far.