Iran Steel Output Up

Iranian steel mills produced 4.57 million tons of crude steel during the first three months of 2017, registering a 4.6% growth year-on-year, according to the latest report released by World Steel Association.

The report shows Iran’s crude steel output in March stood at 1.58 million tons, indicating an 18.3% rise compared with last year’s similar month.  The February output stood at 1.37 million tons, indicating a 1.1% growth compared with February 2016. January output was at 1.52 million tons, up 11.3% compared with the corresponding month in 2016.

The world’s 67 steelmaking countries speeded up their production growth. Global crude steel output stood at 410.548 million tons for the three-month period, indicating a 5.7% increase year-on-year.

China was the top steel producer with 201.09 million tons, followed by Japan with 26.22 million tons, India with 25.76 million tons, the United States with 20.4 million tons, Russia with 17.95 million tons, South Korea with 17.25 million tons, Germany with 10.98 million tons, Turkey with 8.78 million tons, Brazil with 8.25 million tons, Italy with 6.12 million tons, Ukraine with 6.1 million tons and Taiwan with 5.51 million tons.

Iran was the world’s 14th largest steelmaker, as it was placed between Mexico (13th) with a 5.176 million ton output and France (15tH) with 3.9 million tons.

Iran’s crude steel output stood at 17.89 million tons in 2016, according to WSA data, registering a 10.8% growth compared to the year before.

Last year, Iran’s steel sector was the sixth fastest growing in the world after Serbia with 22.7%, Pakistan 22.8, Greece 31.8%, Libya 39.8% and Macedonia 62.2%.

The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization’s latest report indicates that Iranian steel mills produced 14.46 million tons of steel and steel products in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2017), up 4.58% year-on-year.

Mobarakeh Steel Company was the country’s biggest steelmaker during the period with 7.46 million tons.

Iran aims to become the world’s sixth largest steel producer as per the 20-Year Vision Plan (2005-25), which envisions an annual production of 55 million tons of crude steel and 20-25 million tons of exports per year by the deadline.

According to Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, Iranian steel mills have so far materialized 31 million tons of the annual steel manufacture capacity target.

Major Iranian steelmakers exported over 5.38 million tons of crude steel and steel products in the last fiscal year (March 2016-17), registering a 29% growth compared to the year before, data released by Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization showed.

Khouzestan Steel Company had the lion’s share of the exports, as it shipped 767,542 tons of slabs, 718,327 tons of billets and 472,750 tons of blooms overseas.