Iran Steel Exports Slow Down

Major Iranian steelmakers exported 3.98 million tons of semi-finished and finished steel products during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Oct. 22), registering a 24% growth compared to last year’s corresponding period, Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization reported.

The export volume for Mehr, the seventh month of the year (Sept. 23-Oct. 22), stood at 437,270 tons, down 18% year-on-year.

Steelmakers’ shipments were continuously on the rise month-on-month save for Mehr and Ordibehesht, the second Iranian month (started April 21).

The IMIDRO data, released this week, is a preliminary report on large-scale exports. A more comprehensive and detailed version, including smaller private mills’ performance, often follows in about two weeks’ time by the Iranian Steel Producers Association.

 KSC Keeps Lead

Khouzestan Steel Company zoomed past all rivals in the period under review, as it exported 1.56 million tons of slab, bloom and billet overseas, up 54% YOY.

KSC has sustained a double-digit growth each month so far this year, although at a gradually slowing pace.

Bloom exports had the lion’s share of KSC’s shipments with 780,850 tons and went up 168% YOY. Billet exports followed with 454,671 tons up 7%, followed by slabs with 331,005 tons, growing 11%.

Mehr, however, was witness to KSC’s exports dropping 14% to 169,729 tons, a significant fall compared to the steelmaker’s 65% jump in shipments a month before.

The steelmaker, located in the southwestern Khuzestan Province, exports to 13 countries. About half of the exports go to the Middle East and North Africa region. Other major export destinations are located in the Far East and Americas.

 Coil Exports Boost ESCO

Esfahan Steel Company was the second biggest exporter during the seven months with 683,559 tons of beam, rebar, coils and other products shipped overseas, up 85% YOY.

Rebar made up 86,083 tons of ESCO’s overall exports, recording no significant YOY change. It was followed by beam and coil with 63,815 tons and 37,163 tons respectively. Beam shipments were down 30% YOY, while coil exports surged 1,084%. Steel products listed as “other products” made up 496,498 tons of all the exports, up 162% YOY.

In stark contrast, Mehr shipments dropped 15% to 24,710 tons, a far cry from ESCO’s 73,000-ton exports the month before. All commodities’ shipments were down, save for a 226% YOY upsurge in coil exports to 1,160 tons.

The veteran steelmaker produced 1.27 million tons of products during the seven months, posting 7.06% growth YOY, according to latest company data.

Sales volume during the period, however, was down 5.74% YOY to 1.727 million tons, while the value went up 4.72% to 19.6 trillion rials ($490 million).

ESCO’s output and sales growth have slowed down significantly compared to H1, when they grew 74% and 49% YOY respectively.

Ingot sales made up 513,497 tons of total sales during the seven months valued at 7.32 trillion rials ($183.24 million), followed by beams with 312,726 tons valued at 5.45 trillion rials ($136.3 million), rebars with 295,961 tons valued at 4.92 trillion rials ($123 million), coils with 42,383 tons valued at 710 billion rials ($17.75 million) and “other products” with 10,506 tons valued at 170 billion rials ($4.27 million), according to the latest data published on Codal.ir.

The company’s output for the seventh month of the year (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) stood at 194,869 tons, up 14.35% YOY. ESCO sold 123,275 tons of products valued at 1.12 trillion rials ($28 million), up 10% and 11% in sales volume and value respectively YOY.

 All Quiet on HOSCO, MSC Front

Hormozgan Steel Company kept its ranking as the third largest exporter by shipping 625,159 tons of slabs, inching up 5% YOY. The steelmaker’s exports for the seventh month dropped 87% YOY to 30,000 tons.

As a subsidiary of Iran’s largest steelmaker Mobarakeh Steel Company, HOSCO outperformed its parent company in exports for four months in a row this year and the trend seems to continue unobstructed.

Mobarakeh took the fourth spot as it exported a total of 588,238 tons of hot- and cold-rolled, acid-washed, tin-plated, coated, checkered and galvanized flat steel during the seven months, down 49% YOY.

MSC, however, defied Mehr’s dominant trend of slowing exports, as its shipments jumped 149% to 160,848 tons.

Together with its subsidiaries, MSC is the largest flat steel producer in the Middle East and North Africa region, accounting for 1% of Iran’s GDP.

 Other Producers

Khorasan Steel Company came next, as its rebar exports rose 40% to 55,999 tons. The company’s exports in Mehr stood at 3,967 tons, down 2% YOY.

Iran Alloy Steel Company was next with 49,582 tons of rebar exported, up 76% YOY. Its exports during the seventh month surged 310% to 5,877 tons.

Khouzestan Oxin Steel Company was next with 4,138 tons of plates, down 70% YOY. It exported 139 tons in the seventh month, down 85% YOY.

As part of the so-called 20-Year Vision Plan (2005-25), the Iranian steel industry aims to become the world’s sixth largest steelmaker by reaching an output capacity of 55 million tons per year by 2025.

Exports are expected to reach 8 million tons in the current fiscal year, which ends on March 20, 2018, according to former minister of industries, mining and trade, Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh.