Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has announced its production and sales data for the first quarter of the current year. According to the company’s statement, NLMK's crude steel output in the first quarter totaled 4.2 million mt, down four percent compared to the previous quarter and falling three percent year on year, due to the overhauls at the Russian sites and seasonal factors.
In the first quarter, NLMK Group's total steel product sales declined by one percent to 4.61 million mt compared to the previous quarter, while rising by 11 percent year on year, driven by the higher demand for slab and pig iron in export markets.
In the first quarter of 2019, domestic sales totaled 2.6 million mt, up five percent quarter on quarter, backed by higher slab sales in the Russian market, while remaining flat compared to the same quarter of 2018. On the other hand, the company’s external sales totaled 2 million mt, down two percent quarter on quarter and up 32 percent year on year. Quarterly reduction in exports was due to lower pig iron sales, while year-on-year growth is mainly attributable to higher slab sales to third parties.