Business news

GOMEL, 29 October (BelTA) – The Belarusian steel mill BMZ has shipped the first few batches of reinforcing bars to Panama, the company’s Press Secretary Alexander Olesik told BelTA.

BMZ has shipped over 10,000 tonnes of reinforcing bars to Panama.

BMZ had started making new reinforcing bars for Panama in line with the U.S. standard ASTM A706/A706M-16. The work began in early 2018 after receiving the order. Making reinforcing bars measured in inches instead of using the standard metrical system was one of the important requirements. BMZ had to come up with new calibrating tables and thermal hardening regimes. New casting rollers were made. The chemical composition of steel was tweaked to ensure the required mechanical qualities of the final product.

BMZ mastered the production of the first few varieties of the reinforcing bars measured in inches several months ago. Another variety was added in October. Now BMZ can make thermal-hardened reinforcing bars ranging from No.3 (3/8 inch diameter) to No.11 (1 3/8 inch) in line with the U.S. standard ASTM A706/A706M-16.

BMZ works hard to penetrate the Latin America market. In September 2018 ICONTEC audited BMZ and issued three certificates of compliance for shipping reinforcing bars to Colombia. The first few contracts have been signed already.