According to the data released by Belarus' National Statistical Committee, in January-February this year the country registered a 2.7 percent decrease year on year in its crude steel production to 432,100 metric tons, and a 4.4 percent drop in its finished steel product output to 412,000 metric tons.
Meanwhile, in the first two months of 2010 Belarus' outputs of steel pipe and steel cord registered increases of 57.9 and 14.1 percent year on year respectively to 23,700 and 16,200 metric tons. On the other hand, the country's wire rod production went down by 32 percent to 10,000 metric tons compared to January-February 2009.
As of March 1 this year, Belarus' steelmakers had accumulated 6,100 mt of steel pipes in their warehouses, a figure which equals 59.3 percent of their average monthly pipe production volume, and 10,600 mt of finished steel products, which equals to 5.1 percent of their average monthly finished steel product output. The total value of steel products accumulated in the warehouses of local steelmakers as of March 1 this year amounted to Belarus Ruble 85 billion (approx. $28.67 million).