Iranian semi-finished product exports increased 47% on-year in the nine months through 21 December 2015 to 1.18 million tonnes, Kallanish learns from the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (Imidro).

Finished product exports grew 6% to 1.66mt, taking total nine-month steel exports to over 2.8mt. This means that, although exports this Iranian year will certainly surpass last year’s record of 2mt, they are unlikely to reach the target set last July of 4mt (see Kallanish 7 July 2015).

Imidro chairman Mehdi Karbasian previously said producers require further incentives to export since Iranian warehouse steel stocks currently amount to around 3mt because of the recession at home.

Iranian crude steel production registered minimal growth of 0.07% on-year in the nine months through 21 December to 12.64mt (see Kallanish 27 January). This was the first Iranian-year-to-date increase since April, after months of decline caused by weak local and global demand. Nine-month production of finished products, which comprise beam, rebar, pipe, automotive sheet, hot rolled coil, billet and wide plate, however, declined -14% to 11.18mt.

The country’s main exporters are hot and cold rolled coil producer Mobarakeh Steel, billet producer Khouzestan Steel and bar and sections producer Esfahan Steel.