Russian Ministry of Trade and Industry and metallurgists to struggle with unfavourable market conditions

The protection of the domestic market from unfair competition and the support of metallurgists in foreign markets in conditions of the WTO have become key themes of the meeting of the Russian Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Coordinating Council on the development of metallurgical sector, which took place at Metal-Expo with participation of heads of companies and trade associations on November 12.

The main report about the current situation and development prospects was made ​by the Russian Steel’s Vice President, Igor Khoroshiy. According to him, the main factors of economic slowdown are worsening external economic conditions and unfavorable dynamics of investment demand against the background of decrease of proceeds in major sectors. For the first time since 2009 (the time of the global financial crisis’s greatest impact) in 2013 the decline in steel production is expected in Russia - by 2 million tons as compared with 2012. The production of finished rolled metal will also decrease in 2013. This decline took place because of decrease of export supplies; at the same time there is no growth of consumption on the domestic market and the imports are at last year's level.