In the first half of 2008, Egypt's largest steelmaker Ezz Steel produced 1.5 million mt of longs and 858,000 mt of flats, registering a slight increase over production in the corresponding period of 2007.
The company also registered a rise in domestic market sales and a decline in exports during the period in question. Thus, Ezz Steel increased its domestic market longs sales by seven percent, while reducing export deliveries of longs by 87 percent.
The latter is explained by the strong demand for steel seen in the Egyptian domestic market in the first half of 2008. This market witnessed a 19 percent year on year growth in domestic consumption of long steel, which reached 2.419 million mt in the first six months of 2008.
During the period in question, Ezz Steel accounted for a 62.7 percent share of total Egyptian domestic market consumption in longs, and a 67 percent share in flats.