Russian steelmaker NLMK Group has announced its production and sales data for the first quarter of the current year. According to the company statement, NLMK's crude steel output in the first quarter increased to 3.98 million mt, up three percent compared to the fourth quarter last year, driven by higher production at the Russian Long Products segment and at NLMK USA.
In the first quarter, NLMK Group's total steel product sales increased by seven percent quarter on quarter to 4.04 million mt, supported by recovering steel demand in North America and growth in billet exports.
In the first quarter, domestic steel sales totaled 2.15 million mt, up 12 percent quarter on quarter, accounting for 53 percent of total sales, while export sales of the Russian steel operations of the company and of its Denmark-based subsidiary NLMK Dansteel amounted to 1.44 million mt, up two percent quarter on quarter, accounting for 36 percent of total sales.
The company stated the key external destinations were Europe, North America and the Middle East (including Turkey) in the given quarter.