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Belarusian steel mill BMZ ups deliveries to Africa by 80%

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GOMEL, 10 February (BelTA) – The Belarusian steel mill BMZ shipped over $427,000 tonnes of metal products worth over $167 million to African countries in 2019. The growth rate reached 180.8% in physical terms and 153.4% in monetary terms as against 2018, BelTA has learned.

As far as regional distribution is concerned, countries of the European Union and Russia were the top export destinations in 2019. Africa came third with a share of 14.5%. Africa primarily bought rolled steel, reinforcing bars, and cast sections. As many as 16 African countries imported BMZ products. Two of them – Kenya and Uganda – are new markets, which acquired rolled steel for the first time. Egypt accounted for more than half of the merchandise BMZ shipped to Africa.

On the whole, in 2019 the market of metal products was tense due to ongoing protectionism and falling prices. Thus, in 2019 the export price dropped by $69.4 per tonne on the average or by 11.4%. The effectiveness of sales was affected since the cost of raw materials and resources dropped by only 5.5%.

In 2019 BMZ made 2.6 million tonnes of steel, 2.3 million tonnes of rolled steel, 120,000 tonnes of pipes, and 366,000 tonnes of hardware products (metal cord, bronzed bead wire, wire for high-pressure hoses, and other kinds of wire). BMZ exported 2.2 million tonnes of metal products worth $1.16 billion to 65 countries across the globe. The top key importers were Russia, Germany, Egypt, Lithuania, Netherlands, and Israel.

The public joint-stock company (OAO) BMZ, the managing company of the holding company BMC, is a high-tech Belarusian metallurgical enterprise. It comprises infrastructure shops and four manufacturing divisions that focus on steel smelting, mill products, pipe products, and hardware items. BMZ exports more than 80% of its output every year.

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