Russia raises steel output on the year

OREANDA-NEWS. March 24, 2015. Russian crude steel production increased to 11.7mn t in January–February, up by 5.5pc compared with the corresponding period last year, according to Russia's statistics agency Rosstat.

Russia produced 5.6mn t of crude steel in February, 5.7pc more than in February 2014, but down by 8.2pc on the previous month.

Pig iron output in the first two months rose by 3.4pc on the year to 8.6mn t. Last month, Russia produced 4.5mn t of pig iron, up by 5.1pc year on year, but 8.9pc lower than in January.

Russian steel products output totalled 10.2mn t in January–February, a 6.8pc increase from a year earlier. February steel products output also ramped up on the year by 4.3pc, but fell by 7.5pc on the month to 4.9mn t.

Production of steel tubes and pipes in the first two months of this year grew by 18.3pc on the year to 1.8mn t. In February, Russia made 864,000t of steel tubes and pipes, up by 5.8pc on the year, but down 7.7pc from January.

Coal output, including coking and thermal volumes, was 60.41mn t in January–February, up by 5.7pc from the corresponding period last year.

Russia produced 70.3mn t of crude steel in 2014, up by 2.9pc on the year, and 51.4mn t of pig iron, also 2.9pc more than in 2013.