The steel export/production ratio in Iran stood at 40% in September, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation (IMIDRO) reported, citing World Steel Association’s data.
Iran’s crude steel output stood at 2.7 million tons in September, 1.1 million tons of which were exported.
China, the world's biggest steel producer, produces 86.9 million tons during the same period, with exports standing at 6.2 million tons, putting the ratio at 7%.
According to IMIDRO’s website, the ratio stood at 8% for India, the world's second biggest steel producer, as the country produced 9.9 million tons and exported 0.8 million tons.
Japan, the third biggest steel producer, produced 7.2 million tons and exported 2.4 million tons (33%).
The Worldsteel report shows Iranian steel mills produced a total of 22.2 million tons of crude steel from the beginning of the year to the end of September, registering a 9.8% rise compared with the corresponding period of 2021.
In terms of world ranking, Iran maintained its global standing as the world’s 10th biggest crude steelmaker.
China was the world’s largest producer during the nine-month period with 780.8 million tons of steel output, down 3.4% YOY. It was followed by India with 93.3 million tons (up 6.4%), Japan with 67.8 million tons (down 6%), the United States with 61.5 million tons (down 4.3%), Russia with 54.6 million tons (down 6%), South Korea with 50.5 million tons (down 4.4%), Germany with 28.2 million tons (down 6%) and Turkey with 25.9 million tons (down 5.3%).
Iran is placed after Brazil (ninth) with 25.9 million tons (down 5.3% YOY).
The world’s 64 steelmakers produced 1.4 billion tons of steel in the nine months under review, down 4.3% YOY. Countries located in Asia and Oceania collectively produced 1.03 billion tons of the total.
The Middle East produced 32.3 million tons of crude steel during the period, posting an increase of 7.9% compared with the same period of last year.
Crude steel is defined as steel in its first solid (or usable) form: ingots and semi-finished products (billets, blooms and slabs). This is not to be confused with liquid steel, which is steel poured.
The World Steel Association is one of the largest and most dynamic industrial associations, with members in every major steel-producing country.
Worldsteel represents steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations and steel research institutes. Members represent around 85% of global steel production.
The 64 countries included in the Worldsteel report produce 85% of global steel. These steelmakers produced 1.91 billion tons of steel last year, up 3.6% YOY.
In 2021, countries located in Asia and Oceania collectively produced 1.38 billion tons of the total while the Middle East produced 41.2 million tons of crude steel, posting an increase of 1.2% compared with the same period of the previous year.
Iranian steel mills produced a total of 28.5 million tons of crude steel in 2021, registering a 1.8% decline compared with 2020.
Exports to 56 Countries
Iran exported steel to 56 countries during the first half of the current Iranian year (March 21-Sept. 22), says an official with state-owned mining holding company IMIDRO, Amir Sabbagh, adding that Iraq accounted for about one-fifth of the total shipments’ volume.
“Indonesia with 15.3%, China with 15.1%, Thailand with 9.4%, Oman with 8.1%, UAE with 7.8%, Turkey with 4.6% and Ghana with 2.9% were other major steel export destinations during the period,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
He noted that steel exports had an uptrend for the second consecutive month to reach 767,000 tons in the sixth month of the current Iranian year (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — the highest volume of steel exports in the past two years.
“Nonetheless, the global steel market prices are under the pressure of Russia and the drop in China's demand. It is possible that the government will reestablish steel export tax exemptions, which have been limited in the Budget Law of 1401 [Iranian year from March 2022 to 2023], in the form of resolutions or a special bill,” he added.
Iran’s mining industry exported a total of 21.15 million tons of products worth $5.62 billion during the first half of the current fiscal year (March 21-Sept. 22) to register an 8% decrease in tonnage and a 6% decline in value year-on-year, a new report by the IMIDRO shows.
Steel manufacturing chain products (iron ore, semi-finished and finished steel) topped the list of exports in terms of value with an aggregate of $2.58 billion, accounting for 45.9% of total exports in this field.
H1 Output Rises as Exports, Imports Fall
According to the Iranian Steel Producers Association, the output of semi-finished steel products in Iran stood at 15.39 million tons in H1 (March 21-Sept. 22), 19% more than in the corresponding period of last year.
The production of billet and bloom reached an aggregate of 9.36 million tons, registering a 21% year-on-year rise while that of slab reached 6.03 million tons to mark a 15% YOY rise.
The output of finished steel increased by 11% to 10.31 million tons during the period.
Long steel products grabbed the highest share of finished steel production with 5.79 million tons, registering a 9% increase compared with the similar period of last year.
The production of rebar stood at 4.76 million tons (up 9% YOY), beams hit 595,000 tons (up 5% YOY) and L-beam, T-beam and other types of beams amounted to 430,000 tons (up 10% YOY).
Flat steel reached 4.52 million tons (up 14% YOY) while hot-rolled coil output had the biggest share of flat steel production with 4.37 million tons, marking a 12% YOY rise. It was followed by cold-rolled coil with 1.23 million tons (up 1% YOY) and coated coil with 715,000 tons (down 2% YOY).
The output of direct-reduced iron stood at 17.69 million tons during the period, up 20% YOY.
According to ISPA, a total of 2.93 million tons of semi-finished steel products were exported from Iran in the six months, down 16% year-on-year.
Billet and bloom had the lion’s share of semis exports with an aggregate of 2.19 million tons, down 6% compared with the previous year’s corresponding period.
Slab exports amounted to 744,000 tons during the period, down 36%.
Exports of finished steel products declined by 12% to 1.42 million tons during the period.
Rebar accounted for the largest portion of finished steel products exported from Iran during the period, with 1.13 million tons. The total volume of Iran’s rebar exports experienced a 1% decline compared with the same period of last year.
Beam exports amounted to 56,000 tons during the period under review, down 18%.
About 66,000 tons of L-beam, T-beam and other types were also exported from Iran during the period, down 28%.
Hot-rolled coil exports amounted to 112,000 tons, registering a 53% decline.
Export of cold-rolled coil with 11,000 tons registered a 10% rise and coated coil with 41,000 tons, down 32%, was the other finished steel product exported from Iran.
Iran exported 312,000 tons of direct-reduced iron, down 54%.
As for imports, that of finished steel decreased by 15% YOY to stand at 310,000 tons during the period. It mostly included HRC with 152,000 tons, up 145%; CRC with 72,000 tons, down 59% compared with the year before; coated coil with 86,000, down 30%; beam with 6,000 tons, down 33% YOY; L-beam, T-beam and other types with 17,000 tons, down 32% YOY and rebar with 18,000 tons, up 6% year-on-year.
Import of semi-finished steel products hit 1,000 tons during the period, down 67% YOY. It only included slab with 1,000 tons, unchanged year-on-year.
Iran did not import any DRI during the period.
Major Producers/Exporters
Mobarakeh Steel Company, Iran’s biggest steelmaker, produced 5.21 million tons of semi-finished products in H1, to register an 18% year-on-year rise.
The steelmaker also produced 4.13 million tons of finished steel during the period, up 11% YOY, according to IMIDRO.
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 1.74 million tons of output in six months.
Esfahan Steel Company came next with 1.3 million tons of semis output and was followed by South Kaveh Steel Company with 835,712 tons, Chadormalu Steel Company with 591,705 tons and Khorasan Steel Company with 460,781 tons during the period under review.
In terms of finished products, MSC was followed by ESCO with 1.27 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 year’s sixth month (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) by producing 972,454 and 591,083 tons of semis and finished steel products respectively.
Khouzestan Steel Company topped the list of Iran’s steel exporters in H1.
According to IMIDRO, KSC exported 692,331 tons of steel products during the period to register a 23% year-on-year fall.
The company’s exports during the month ending Sept. 22 hit 255,514 tons, registering a 481% rise.
KSC was followed by Esfahan Steel Company with 565,764 tons of exports during six months, registering a 7% drop in shipments.
ESCO's monthly exports stood at 93,862 tons, 2% higher than in the corresponding period of last year.
Esfahan Steel Company is the first and largest manufacturer of constructional steel products in Iran, according to its website.
Mobarakeh Steel Company came next with 207,695 tons of exports during six months, down 67%. It exported 7,184 tons of steel products during the month under review, down 92%.
Oxin Steel Company registered the highest growth of 221% in export volume with 43,072 tons during the six-month period.
KSC’s monthly exports registered the highest growth with 255,514 tons, up 481%.
