CIS steel production continues to fall

Steel output in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) declined 3.9 percent during November compared to last year, due to a sharp drop in steel production in Ukraine, according to the latest data released by the World Steel Association.

Total crude steel production in Belarus increased by more than 47.1 percent to 224 thousand tonnes in November 2014, up from 152 thousand tonnes in November 2013. Kazakhstan produced 339 thousand tonnes of steel, up 1.5 percent from the 334 thousand tonnes achieved in November 2013. Moldova smelted 29 thousand tons of steel during this month. Total crude steel production in Russia increased by 5.8 percent to 5.840 million tonnes in November 2014 compared to 5.521 million tonnes in the same month of 2013.

In November, there was a decline in steel production in Ukraine. Total steel production in Ukraine dropped sharply to 1.822 million tonnes in November 2014. The fall was 28.6 percent compared with the output of 2.553 million tons in November of the previous year. In addition, steel production in Uzbekistan also decreased by 0.8 percent during the month.

Cumulative totals of steel production in thousand tons for the first eleven months of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013 in percent: Russia 64794, (+2.8); Ukraine 25261, (-16.1); Kazakhstan 3441, (+14.8); Belarus 2279, (+9.2); Uzbekistan 687, (-0.8); Moldova 332, (+124).