15 Mar 2010 13:14

Kazakhstan sustains steel production in 2 mths

ALMATY. March 15 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan produced 566,047 tonnes of crude steel in January-February, as much as in the same period of last year, the State Statistics Agency said.

Output of flat steel products fell 12.8% year-on-year to 405,122 tonnes overall, including 28,755 tonnes of tin-plate and tin-plated sheet, a 40.3% increase, and 83,141 tonnes of galvanized steel, up 11%.

Ferroalloy production jumped 68.8%-fold to 280,274 tonnes.

Crude iron ore production rose 30.9% year-on-year to 7.599 million tonnes, manganese ore production fell, by 11.7% to 393,100 tonnes, and chrome ore grew, by 37.9% to 788,300 tonnes.

Kazakhstan boosted iron ore pellet production 113% year-on-year in January-February to 1.412 million.