Six-month steel exports up 20%: ISPA
Iran’s export of steel products in the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 21-September 22) registered a 20 percent growth compared to the same period last year, according to figures by the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA).
According to statistics, the export of iron beam has increased from 56,000 tons in the first six months of previous Iranian year to 90,000 tons during the six months to September 22, 2023, showing a 60.7 percent growth.
In addition, the export of rebar has dropped from 1.137 million tons to 1.123 million tons in the six month period, ISPA added.
Iran exported 874,000 tons of sponge iron during H1 of the current Iranian year, 312,000 tons more than the corresponding figure for last year.
According to statistics released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) on Saturday, Iranian plants produced 14.6 million tons of direct-reduced iron (DRI) during the first five months of the current Iranian year.
The figure is seven percent more than the output for the last Iranian year, which was 13.658 million tons.
According to statistics released by the World Steel Association (WSA) on September 25, Iranian steelmakers churned out 19.7 million tons of crude steel in the first eight months of 2023, , indicating that the country stands at tenth place among steel producing countries.
Steel mills of the country kept the rising trend for the eight-month period despite a major drop in production during the summer due to problems in electricity supply.
The country’s steel ingot production for August 2023 registered a 24.1-percent shrinkage compared to the figure for August 2022.
World crude steel production for the 63 countries reporting to the association was 152.6 million tons in August 2023, a 2.2 percent increase compared to August 2022.
China produced 86.4 million tons in August 2023, up 3.2 percent over August 2022, while India produced 11.9 million tons of steel ingots last month, up 17.4 percent compared to the figure for last year, as Japan produced 7.1 million tons, down 2.9 percent compared to the same month last year.
The World Steel Association is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world, with members in every major steel-producing country. The WSA represents steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.