The Swiss-based steel trading company Metinvest International SA, a part of the Ukrainian mining and steel producing company Metinvest Holding (Metinvest), has announced the launch of two new branch offices, in Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and in Tunis, Tunisia.
The launch of the new representative offices in the UAE and Tunisia is part of Metinvest International's customer proximity strategy, and is aimed at promoting new steel products, to allow better information exchange, to reinforce partnerships, and to expand Metinvest's presence in the Gulf and North Africa.
The new office in Jebel Ali will handle business requirements for the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In 2008, Metinvest shipped about 430,000 of billets to the Gulf countries, including 255,000 mt to UAE, 138,000 mt to Oman, and 37,000 mt to Saudi Arabia.
On the other hand, in 2008 Metinvest delivered about 780,000 mt of billets, 37,000 mt of wire rods, beams and channels and 5,000 mt of plate to North African countries. The new product range at its new office in Tunis will include rebar of various steel grades, wire rod, angles, channels, I-beams, plate, SAW pipes.