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| Flat steel |
Kazakhstan’s steel sector posted strong growth in early 2025, with steel production rising 9.1% year-on-year (y/y) to 1.41 million tons between January and April, according to data from the Statistical Committee of the Ministry of Economy, reported by Kallanish.
Flat steel output surged 14.8% y/y over the same period, reaching 957.99 thousand tons, underscoring robust demand and improved mill performance. In April alone, the country produced 369.63 thousand tons of steel, up 1.2% from March and 5% y/y. Finished steel product output for the month was stable month-on-month (m/m) at 246.54 thousand tons, representing a 0.8% y/y increase.
Qarmet Leads the Charge with Surging Output and Expansion Plans
In 2024, Kazakhstan had already increased steel production by 9.5%, reaching 4.17 million tons, with flat steel output jumping 18.2% to 2.9 million tons. Much of this momentum is being carried forward in 2025 by Qarmet Iron and Steel Works, the country’s largest steelmaker, which exceeded 2024 production targets across all major product categories:
- Steel: +15%
- Coke: +18%
- Sinter: +12%
- Long products: +17%
In January 2025, Qarmet produced 319 thousand tons of steel, up a sharp 32.3% m/m, with Plate Mill No. 1 achieving 264 thousand tons of finished product — 3.7% above target. Qarmet aims to produce 3.7 million tons of steel this year.
New Projects with China Signal Long-Term Growth
In a bid to expand downstream capacity, Qarmet and China’s Xinxing Ductile Iron Pipes Co agreed to construct a cast iron pipe plant in Kazakhstan with a design capacity of 200,000 tons/year and $161 million investment. Separately, the company signed a $1 billion cooperation agreement with China Metallurgical Group for joint development across the mining and metallurgical sectors.
These partnerships signal Kazakhstan’s ambition to strengthen its position in the global steel value chain and increase its value-added steel product exports.
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