Exports of steel products, primarily finished steel, declined by 14 per cent during April and May of the current fiscal compared to the corresponding months of 2001-02.
Total exports of finished steel for these two months was recorded at 4 lakh tonne, while it was 4.66 lakh tonne in 2001-02. Further, only 30,000 tonne of semi-finished products were exported during the first two months of the fiscal, while during the same period in 2001-02 it was 64,000 tonne.
Chief economist, joint plant committee under the aegis of the steel ministry, AS Firoz, said the decline in the first two months may not set a trend.