Business news

19 Mar 2019

Belarusian steel mill BMZ steps up presence in Africa

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GOMEL, 19 March (BelTA) – The Belarusian steel mill BMZ intends to step up its presence in Africa in 2019, BelTA has learned.

In January-February 2019 BMZ’s shipments to African countries increased considerably in monetary terms and physical terms and exceeded 57,000 tonnes. The figure represents about 15% of the company’s total export. Negotiations with a potential customer from Senegal took place at BMZ in early March for the sake of securing the achieved results. The meeting touched upon the timeframe and volumes of the first deliveries. Prospects of expanding export to Niger, Chad, Mali, and Mauritania were mentioned.

In 2016-2018 BMZ considerably increased its presence in Africa. In 2016 the company shipped 89,000 tonnes of metal products to Africa. In 2017 the figure reached 209,000 tonnes. It went up to 236,000 tonnes in 2018. The list of customers grew larger to include Algeria, Mali, Sudan, Chad, and Ethiopia.

The portfolio of orders to deliver BMZ products to Africa was first filled in 1998. Back then customers from Egypt, Cameroon, Morocco, and Tunisia were able to appreciate the quality of Belarusian metal products. Cast sections used to represent the bulk of BMZ’s export to Africa. At present the company views Africa as an alternative market for selling reinforcing bars and low-carbon rolled steel.

In January-February 2019 BMZ exported over 371,000 tonnes of metal products to 43 countries across the globe.

The public joint-stock company (OAO) BMZ – managing company of the holding company BMC is a high-tech Belarusian metallurgical company. BMZ has four enterprises united by a single process flow – a steel smelting division, a rolling division, a pipe division, and divisions making hardware items and supplying work tools and implements. BMZ exports over 80% of the output every year.