Kazakhstan has announced an extension of its ban on the export of semi-finished steel products for another six months, effective from December 1, 2024. This decision, reported by the Ministry of Trade and Integration, aims to support domestic processing and boost value-added exports. The initial ban led to a positive shift in the industry, with existing production facilities for semi-finished products, such as square billets, being reoriented towards deeper processing. This strategic move resulted in an increase in rebar exports by nearly 30,000 tons.
In addition to the export ban, Kazakhstan continues to uphold its anti-dumping measures against galvanized steel imports from China and Ukraine, as well as hot-rolled seamless pipes from China. These duties, originally set in 2019 by the Eurasian Economic Commission, include a 23.9% rate for Ukrainian galvanized steel and up to 17% for Chinese products. They remain in effect until at least September 1, 2025.
Kazakhstan's steel industry has shown strong growth, with total steel output up by 9.5% year-on-year to 4.17 million tons in 2024. The Qarmet Iron and Steel Works notably exceeded 2024 production targets across all major categories and aims to produce 3.7 million tons of steel in 2025.
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