MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Metal consumption in Russia declined by 15% in January-March 2026 compared with the same period last year, head of Severstal Management Alexander Shevelev said.

"The situation in the industry remains challenging. Demand for steel in Russia continues to decline: in the first three months of 2026, metal consumption fell by 15% year-on-year," the company quoted him as saying.

In the Q1, the average price of hot-rolled sheet in Russia decreased by 7%, he noted.

At the same time, prices in export markets showed some growth in the Q1, with the key driver being a reduction in export shipments from China.

"An additional supporting factor in a number of regions was the rise in freight rates due to the Middle East conflict, as well as reduced competition from Chinese suppliers," Shevelev added.

Despite this, the company’s capacity utilization remains close to 100%, with steel output in the Q1 totaling 2.72 mln tons. Sales of steel products declined by 1% year-on-year to 2.63 mln tons.