PATRIOT PARK /Moscow region/, August 15. /TASS/. The metal products market will balance out in the near term, despite a decline in the overall consumption, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia Denis Manturov said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV channel.

"We expect that in the near future the market should balance out, despite the decline in the overall consumption," Manturov said. Manturov emphasized that in the first half of 2022, there was an increase in demand for the range of good that are currently in demand in foreign markets.

According to him, the volume of metal products manufactured in 2021 amounted to a record-breaking 77 mln tonnes, with half of this volume used for construction purposes.

"We proceed from the fact that the construction sector is actively developing, and the program that was recently developed by the Construction Ministry and was backed by the government, will additionally help the metallurgical industry stabilize and recover," Manturov said.