Steel output of NLMK Group’s declined by 10pc in 2019 from the prior year amid major repairs at NLMK Lipetsk blast furnace and steelmaking operations, and a decrease in output at NLMK Russia Long Products in response to low demand for billets in the export markets.
| NLMKGroup output | |||
| Production (mn mt) | Q4 2018 | Q4 2019 | YoY |
| Merchant pig iron | 0.2 | 0.3 | -64% |
| Merchant slabs | 1.4 | 1.1 | -20% |
| Flat steel | 2.0 | 2.1 | -1% |
| Merchant billets | 0.2 | 0.0 | -95% |
| Long products | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2% |
| Metalware | 0.1 | 0.1 | -4% |
| Total products | 4.5 | 4.0 | -14% |
Finished steel sales grew by 3pc to 11.1mn mt, as shipments of flat and long products increased in H1 2019 from the prior year. Sales to ‘home’ markets hit an all-time high of 11.4mn mt up by 7pc from the prior year amid increase in demand for flat and long products in Russia, while sales in the US were down by 3pc from the prior year as demand for uncoated steel declined.