EVRAZ's view on the construction steel market in Central Asia

Dmitry Pukhnarevich, Director of the Project Solutions Sales Division at EVRAZ, presented on the topic "EVRAZ in the Central Asia and South Caucasus Markets: Products and Services for Regional Consumers" at the 5th International Conference Iron and Steel Market of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. He highlighted the key product being promoted – the I-beam for project solutions. Currently, EVRAZ has approximately 3,000 active projects (including Russia), with around 1.5 million tons of steel structures being designed in the CIS. Of this, 549,000 tons are based on I-beams.

At the same time, the competitive landscape in the I-beam market is becoming more intense. The speaker noted the increasing volume of Chinese steel imports into the Central Asian market. The main importers of I-beams from China are Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

In the Central Asian markets, there is also a noticeable increase in Chinese investments in fixed capital. Projects involving Chinese investors and their investment volume are expected to reach 255 billion rubles by 2025-2027. The increased influx of investments from China is putting additional pressure on the market and local players in the steel products industry.

A positive influence on mitigating the impact of Chinese steel structures could come from collaborative efforts between market participants in steel trading and designers, along with regulatory and supervisory authorities.

EVRAZ is also confident that the best way to combat Chinese expansion is by offering consumers unique, niche patented products and service solutions. One such solution is Balmax, a new brand of I-beams produced by EVRAZ from steel with a yield strength of at least 390 MPa. Balmax 390 is the foundation of large-scale projects and complex engineering concepts, including:
- Unique buildings and structures, including those with large spans.
- Infrastructure projects.
- The industrial sector with high load demands.

Another new brand is Armax, a reinforcing steel with a multi-row profile type. A500SP rebar with a four-row periodic profile is a successful development by the Scientific Research Institute of Building Mechanics (NIIZHB) and EVRAZ ZSMK. Since 2006, approximately 4 million tons have been produced at the EVRAZ ZSMK plant for all segments of construction. Its main advantage is its enhanced calculated characteristics and better adhesion to concrete.

The speaker also elaborated on another downstream direction for EVRAZ: the EVRAZ STEEL ecosystem. One of the companies within the ecosystem, EVRAZ STEEL BUILDING, will be the general partner of the SteelStructures'2025 exhibition for manufacturers of steel structures, products, and their consumers. The exhibition will be held at the new Timiryazev Center in Moscow.