Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has announced its production and sales data for the third quarter and for the first nine months of the current year. According to the company’s statement, NLMK's crude steel output in the third quarter increased to 4.42 million mt, up one percent compared to the previous quarter, driven by the increase in steel production volumes at NLMK’s Russian sites. In the January-September period, the company’s crude steel production increased by three percent year on year to 13.3 million mt.
In the third quarter, NLMK Group's total steel product sales rose by one percent to 4.42 million mt compared to the second quarter of this year, driven by the growth in long product sales as previously accumulated stocks were being sold off. Meanwhile, in the first nine months of the current year, total steel product sales totaled 12.95 million mt, rising by seven percent compared to the corresponding period of 2017, driven by the increase in semi-finished product sales due to the uptick in demand on the international markets.
In the third quarter of the year, domestic sales totaled 2.74 million mt, up three percent quarter on quarter, while the company’s external sales totaled 1.61 million mt, falling by two percent quarter on quarter, due to the decrease in finished flat product export sales by NLMK Russia Flat division.