en.Wedoany.com Reported - According to a report by the Russian metallurgical industry information and analytical magazine Metallurgical Bulletin on June 27, 2026, in May 2026, the total volume of export cargo shipped via the Russian railway network (RZD) to Russian seaports reached 28 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 7.4%. Among this, ferrous metal shipments rose by 8.1% year-on-year, reaching 1.1 million tons.

In terms of port flows, northwestern ports received 9 million tons of various cargoes, a year-on-year decrease of 18.5%; Far Eastern ports received 10.9 million tons, up 15.4% year-on-year; and southern ports received 8.1 million tons, up 45.4% year-on-year. The main drivers of cargo growth included coal transportation (up 18.4% year-on-year, reaching 15.4 million tons) and iron ore transportation (up 40.6% year-on-year, reaching 1.1 million tons).

The Russian steel industry faced severe challenges in 2026. According to data from the Russian Steel Association (Chermet), Russia's crude steel output fell to 15.6 million tons in the first quarter of 2026, a year-on-year decrease of 10.4%, hitting a 15-year low. During the same period, domestic metal consumption declined by 15% year-on-year. Against this backdrop, Severstal still maintained its steel production plan of 11.2 to 11.3 million tons for 2026, operating at near full capacity. United Metallurgical Company (OMK), on the other hand, opened new sales channels through commodity exchanges, becoming the first Russian steel manufacturer to conduct commercial sales via exchanges.

According to Kommersant, in the third week of June, export prices for Russian steel billets at Black Sea ports fell from a year-high of $500 per ton to between $480 and $485 per ton. Turkish steel mills adopted a wait-and-see approach, postponing inventory replenishment due to weak demand for finished steel products and declining rebar prices.

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