CIS crude steel output drops by 2% in March, Worldsteel says

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The figure includes actual production volumes for Russia and Ukraine, and estimates for Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Moldova.

Steel mills in Russia – by far the largest producer in the region and the fifth-largest in the world – produced a total of 6.03 million tonnes of crude steel in the month, up by 1% year-on-year.

The rest of the CIS region countries reduced crude steel output over the month.

Crude steel output in Ukraine, the region’s second- and the world’s tenth-largest steelmaker, was 2.65 million tonnes in the month, down by 8% year-on-year.

Export demand was diminished by the unrest in Ukraine, which affected production levels in March, according to Ukrainian steelmakers’ union Metallurgprom.

Kazakhstan cut its crude steel output by 2% year-on-year to an estimated 285,000 tonnes.

Estimated steel production in Belarus fell by 25% in the same comparison to 175,000 tonnes.

Uzbekistan reduced its crude steel output by 4% year-on-year to an estimated 60,000 tonnes.