North American Operations Lead the Way for Evraz

The North American operations of Evraz produced 1.88 million metric tons in 2021, an 18.9% improvement over 2020 despite some falloff near the end of the year, the company said in its Jan. 31 trading update. The Russia-based steelmaker reported fourth-quarter 2021 production of 480,000 metric tons in North America, a 2.2% decline from the prior quarter, partly due to maintenance outages in November.

Year over year worldwide, Evraz consolidated crude steel production edged down by 0.4% as volumes fell after Russia introduced an export duty (effective until the end of 2021), which led to lower margins from pig iron production in Russia. The export duty’s effect on semifinished steel contributed to a 4.5% decline in sales in 2021, notably sales to North America.