Russian producers exported 2.63mn mt of pig iron in the first seven months compared to 2.02mn mt in the same period of 2020, according to Russian Customs data.
In July 2021, pig iron exports from Russia surged 2 times annually to 851,000mt. The US was the leading importer, with shipments increasing fourfold to 482,000mt.
Pig iron exports from Russia to Turkey reached 113,000mt versus 6,000mt in July 2020. Shipments of the material to Italy dropped by 46pc to 58,000mt and Poland imported 5 times at 36,000mt. The country also exported 28,000mt of pig iron to South Korea, 15,000mt to Taiwan, and 13,000mt to Japan.
Russia’s pig iron production increased by 4pc to 36.49mn mt in January-July 2021, according to the World Steel Association. The country holds the fourth position in the world among the largest pig iron producers after China (533.50mn mt), India (67.85mn mt), and Japan (41.13mn mt).