A total of 6.74 million tons of different steel products worth $3.7 billion were exported from Iran during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Nov. 21), the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) reported on Wednesday.
The report added that exports in the eight Iranian month (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) stood at 1.14 million tons worth $568 million.
“This is the second consecutive month that monthly steel exports exceed 1 million tons this year,” IMIDRO wrote on its news portal, adding that the shipments registered a record high during the eighth month of past years.
A total of 11.69 million tons worth $7.41 billion of steel were exported from Iran to 59 countries in the fiscal 2021-22.
China with 3.54 million tons worth $2.02 billion, accounted for 30.3% of Iran’s total exports in weight and 27.3% in value to top the list of export destinations. It was followed by Iraq with 1.9 million tons (16.3%) worth $1.26 billion (17%), Indonesia with 1.7 million tons (14.5%) worth $1.09 billion (14.8%), Thailand with 1.17 million tons (10%) worth $750.12 million (10.1%) and the UAE with 724,170 tons (6.2%) worth $544.35 million (7.3%).
According to the Iranian Steel Producers Association, 7.68 million tons of semi-finished steel products were exported from Iran last year, up 25% compared with the previous year.
Billet and bloom had the lion’s share of semis exports with an aggregate of 5.1 million tons, up 12% compared with the previous year’s corresponding period.
Slab exports amounted to 2.58 million tons during the period, up 62% year-on-year.
Exports of finished steel products grew by 20% to 3.4 million tons during the period.
Rebar accounted for the largest portion of finished steel products exported from Iran during the period, with 2.5 million tons. The total volume of Iran’s rebar exports experienced a 36% growth compared with the same period of last year.
Beam exports amounted to 145,000 tons during the period under review, down 15% YOY.
About 200,000 tons of L-beam, T-beam and other types were also exported from Iran during the period, up 6% YOY.
Hot-rolled coil exports amounted to 433,000 tons, registering a 20% decline compared with the year before.
Cold-rolled coil with 17,000 tons registered a 35% decline year-on-year and coated coil with 115,000 tons, up 46% YOY, was the other finished steel product exported from Iran.
Exports of direct-reduced iron increased by 25% YOY to 1.06 million tons.
According to IMIDRO, Khouzestan Steel Company exported 2.05 million tons of steel products during the period to register a 37% year-on-year rise and top the list of Iranian exporters.
KSC's exports in the 12th month of the last year stood at 454,815 tons, 225% higher compared with the same period of last year.
Mobarakeh Steel Company came next with 1.26 million tons of exports during the 12-month period, up 1% YOY.
MSC exported 228,404 tons of steel products in the 12th month of the previous fiscal year, down 50% YOY. It was followed by Esfahan Steel Company with 1.12 million tons of exports, 16% higher YOY.
The company's exports during the month ending March 20 stood at 81,867 tons, 1% less YOY.
Khorasan Steel Company’s rebar registered the highest growth of 604% in export volume with 78,801 tons during the 12-month period. Khorasan Steel Company’s monthly rebar exports also registered the highest growth in terms of volume, with 6,801 tons of exports, up 293% YOY.
World’s 10th Biggest Steelmaker
According to the World Steel Association, Iran is the word’s 10th biggest steel producer.
The association’s latest available data show Iranian steel mills produced a total of 25.1 million tons of crude steel from the beginning of 2022 to the end of October, registering a 9% rise compared with the corresponding period of 2021.
Iran's October output hit 2.9 million tons, registering a 3.5% year-on-year rise.
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 10-month period with 860.6 million tons of steel output, down 2.2%. It was followed by India with 103.8 million tons (up 6.1%), Japan with 75.2 million tons (down 6.5%), the United States with 68.1 million tons (down 4.8%), Russia with 60.4 million tons (down 6.6%), South Korea with 55.7 million tons (down 5%), Germany with 31.4 million tons (down 6.9%) and Turkey with 30.2 million tons (down 5.2%).
Iran is placed after Brazil (ninth) with 28.7 million tons (down 5.2%).
The world’s 64 steelmakers produced 1.55 billion tons of steel during the 10 months under review, down 3.9%. Countries located in Asia and Oceania collectively produced 1.14 billion tons of the total.
The Middle East produced 36.4 million tons of crude steel during the period, posting an increase of 7.7% 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%.
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.
MSC is the biggest steelmaker in Iran and the Middle East and North Africa region, accounting for about half of the country's steel production.
