Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has announced its production and sales data for the third quarter and the first nine months of the current year. According to the company’s statement, NLMK’s crude steel output in the third quarter totaled 3.9 million mt, down 15 percent compared to the previous quarter and rising by one percent year on year, due to the incident in the steelmaking production oxygen supply infrastructure at the Lipetsk site in August and the subsequent repair works. In the January-September period this year, the company’s crude steel output increased by eight percent year on year, totaling 12.9 million mt, due to a ramp-up following equipment overhaul.
In the third quarter, NLMK Group’s total steel product sales decreased by four percent compared to the previous quarter and were down by seven percent year on year to 4.1 million mt, amid a decrease in NLMK Lipetsk’s production. In the given period, the company’s sales of semi-finished products to third parties increased by one percent compared to the second quarter, mainly due to higher pig iron sales, while its sales of finished products increased by one percent quarter on quarter to 2.7 million mt, amid stable demand in key markets. In the first nine months this year, the company’s total steel product sales totaled 12.4 million mt, decreasing by seven percent year on year.
In the third quarter this year, domestic sales totaled 2.8 million mt, remaining unchanged quarter on quarter and year on year, while in the January-September period this year the company’s domestic sales totaled 8.3 million mt, up by two percent year on year, mainly due to increased demand in the US market.
The company’s export sales in the given quarter totaled 1.4 million mt, up by two percent quarter on quarter. In the first nine months this year, NLMK’s export sales decreased by 23.0 percent year on year to four million mt.