TEHRAN- The production of semi-finished steel in Iran rose 4.7 percent in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (September 23-October 22), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA) announced.

According to the ISPA’s report, the country produced 18.152 million tons of semi-finished steel in the seven-month period of this year, while the figure was 17.34 million tons in the same period of time in the previous year.

Semi-finished steel (also called intermediate steel products) is steel that has been cast into a simple, basic shape after its initial production but has not yet been rolled or forged into its final form.

Think of it as the raw material for finished steel products. It's the crucial middle step between molten steel and the steel beams, car parts, sheets, or rods we use.

There are three primary forms of semi-finished steel, created by a process called continuous casting: Billets: Small, square or round cross-sections (typically under 6 inches/150mm). These are the starting point for long products like rebars, wire rods, merchant bars, and seamless tubes. Blooms: Larger square or rectangular cross-sections (bigger than billets). They are often further processed into structural shapes like I-beams, rails, and heavy columns. Slabs: The largest form, with a wide, rectangular cross-section but relatively thin. Slabs are rolled flat to make finished flat products like hot-rolled coils, steel plates, sheets for automobiles, and appliances.

Semi-finished steel is an important economic indicator because: It measures early-stage industrial activity. This is often a leading indicator of future activity in construction, automotive, and manufacturing sectors, as that semi-finished steel will be turned into final products months later. It represents flexibility and supply. Semi-finished steel can be stored and then later processed into various final products based on market demand. A country with high semi-finished output can export these intermediates to other nations that lack the initial steelmaking capacity but have finishing mills. It's the core product of many mini-mills. Modern electric arc furnace (EAF) mills often specialize in producing semi-finished steel (especially billets) from scrap metal, which is a faster and more flexible process.

MA