Iran's steel exports slow down

Iran's steel exports fell 17% year-on-year to 6.46 million tons in the nine months to December 20, 2020, according to the ISPA. The ISPA said that although the decline rate was slower than that in previous months, Iran's steel exports were still falling year on year due to government export restrictions, which meant that it caused loss of foreign exchange income.

In the above nine months, Iran's export volume of semi-finished steel products decreased by 12% to 4.48 million tons, including 33% to 1.28 million tons of slab and 2% to 3.49 million tons of billet.

During the same period, the export volume of finished steel products decreased by 27% to 1.98 million tons, of which long products accounted for 1.51 million tons. The export volume of steel plates decreased by 28% to 471000 tons.

Meanwhile, the export volume of DRI decreased by 45% to 453000 tons. Despite the decrease in exports and weak domestic consumption, Iran's output of finished steel products increased by 10% year on year in the above nine months to 10.61 million tons.