In the first quarter of this year, the production of crude steel in Kazakhstan decreased by 2.7% YoY, to 1.1 million tons.
Karaganda region provided 965,000 tons or 85% of the total production, down by 3.7%.
Within a general decline in the production of crude steel, the production of unalloyed steel decreased by 2.7%, while alloyed steel fell by 32%.
The output of flat rolled products in Kazakhstan decreased by 48%.
Only the production of rods and bars of unalloyed steel (increase by 34.3%) and ribbed sheets from it (increase by 13.7%) saw a rise.
Steel production in 2018 in the country decreased by 14.8% YoY. Deliveries to foreign markets in the sector also went negative.
Thus, exports of flat rolled iron, non-alloyed, alloyed and stainless steel decreased by 62% in tons and by 63.8% in money.
The main importer of flat rolled products is Russia (101,000 tons, down by 53.8%).
Exports of iron, alloyed, alloyed and stainless steel bars also declined: by 37.7% in tons and by 41.9% in money.
The main importer is Belarus (20,800 tons, down by 9.5%). (Trend/Ukrainian metal)