The IMIDRO data, released this week, are included in 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.
Iranian steelmakers’ shipments were continuously on the rise month-on-month save for the seventh and the second month of the Iranian year, respectively.
Khuzestan Steel Company zoomed past all rivals in the period under review, as it exported 1.73 million tons of slab, bloom and billet, up 57% year-on-year.
KSC has sustained a double-digit growth each month so far this year.
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.
Isfahan Steel Company was the second biggest exporter during the eight months, with 742,375 tons of beam, rebar, coils and other products shipped overseas, up 83% YOY.
Rebar made up 103,717 tons of ESCO’s overall exports, dropping 3% YOY. It was followed by beam and coil with 72,195 tons and 39,963 tons respectively. Beam shipments were down 30% YOY, while coil exports surged 996%. Steel products listed as "other" made up 526,500 tons of all the exports, up 177% YOY.
Beam and rebar shipments were down, while coil exports recorded a 454% YOY upsurge to 2,800 tons.
Hormuzgan Steel Company retained its spot as the third largest exporter by shipping 777,897 tons of slabs, up 5% YOY. The steelmaker’s exports in the eighth month rose by 8% YOY to 152,738 tons.
As a subsidiary of Iran’s largest steelmaker Mobarakeh Steel Company, HOSCO has outperformed its parent company in exports for five months in a row so far this year.
Mobarakeh took the fourth spot as it exported a total of 727,381 tons of hot and cold-rolled, acid-washed, tin-plated, coated, checkered and galvanized flat steel during the eight months, down 41% YOY.
Together with its subsidiaries, MSC is the largest flat producer in the Middle East and North Africa region, accounting for 1% of Iran’s GDP.
South Kaveh Steel Company came next, as its billet exports stood at 458,000 tons.
Khorasan Steel Company was next with 61,542 tons of rebars exported, up 20% YOY.
Iran Alloy Steel Company took the next rank with 54,553 tons of rebar shipments, up 85% YOY.
As part of the 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 the deadline (2025).
Exports are expected to reach 8 million tons in the current fiscal year, which ends on March 20, 2018.
