NLMK's crude steel output ups 4.4 percent in Q1

Russian Novolipetsk Steel's (NLMK) press release has disclosed that in the first quarter of 2006 the company produced 2.2 million tons of pig iron, up 4 percent, 2.29 million tons of crude steel, up 4.4 percent, 980,000 tons of slabs, up 9 percent, 590,000 tons of cold rolled products, up 7.8 percent and 90,000 tons of HDG, up 55.7 percent from the same period of last year. The only negative trend in production was seen in the segment of HR in the given period. Thus, NLMK's production of hot rolled products decreased 14.6 percent year on year to 430,000 tons in the first quarter of 2006.