According to the data released by Belarus' National Statistical Committee, in 2009 the country registered a 7.9 percent decrease year on year in its crude steel production to 2.45 million metric tons, and a 3.6 percent drop in its finished steel product output to 2.3 million metric tons.
Meanwhile, in 2009, Belarus' outputs of such products as steel pipe, wire rod and steel cord registered decreases of 26, 46.8 and 28.6 percent year on year respectively. The respective figures in metric tons were 106,700, 46,800 and 69,000.
As of January 1, 2010, Belarus' steelmakers had accumulated 5,700 mt of steel pipes in their warehouses, a figure which equals 85.3 percent of their average monthly pipe production volume and which marks an increase of 5.5 percent year on year. The total value of steel products accumulated in the warehouses of local steelmakers as of January 1 this year amounted to Belarus Rubles 75.7 billion (approx. $26.7 million).