26.07.2021

In H1 2021, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) shipped more than 575 thousand tonnes of metal products in specialised containers, which is more than twice as high as in 2020.

Between January and June of last year, MMK shipped 282.8 thousand tonnes of rolled metal with these containers. At the same time, 2020 was a record year for the plant in this regard: the volume shipped in containers amounted to 745.5 thousand tonnes (2.2 times higher than 2019), according to the twelve-monthly figures.

The main recipients of metal products in containers are companies within the automotive industry, pipe-manufacturing businesses, manufacturers of equipment, and regional warehouse sites. In particular, products in containers are delivered in small batches to the warehouses of MMK Trading House LLC using multimodal delivery systems. 'Today, MMK occupies key positions in all the main metal-consuming industries in Russia. At the same time, we adhere to a strategy of developing premium bespoke products, for which safety during transportation and delivery to the customer is of great importance. Therefore, we are increasingly looking at the development of container transportation as a feature of our customer-oriented approach. This approach is defined in one of the key strategic initiatives of MMK, 'Focus on Customers', within which an emphasis is placed on the digitalisation of sales channels, the development of logistics through the creation of remote warehouses, and the implementation of a distribution strategy,' said Pavel Shilyaev, CEO of MMK.

The main advantages of using containers for the transportation of metal products include simplicity, ease and speed of unloading fr om specialised containers in comparison to gondola cars, as well as the absence of the need to unload, store and load multi-turn fasteners (frames) used for delivery in open containers, which reduces the costs for the consignee. Moreover, the use of containers allows an improved level of service, by organising multimodal delivery systems directly to the consignee's gate, thereby ensuring the delivery of small shipments to locations wh ere there are no proprietary railway tracks.

Mastering the technology of shipping products in large-capacity containers provides additional opportunities for optimising transport logistics, diversifying delivery methods and meeting customer requirements for enclosed transportation without using returnable means of metal fastenings.

However, most importantly, the containers provide additional protection of metal products from mechanical impact and damage during transportation and loading and unloading operations, and also protect them from atmospheric precipitation in the case of closed containers. Ensuring that the cargo is secure helps to meet customers' quality requirements for the delivered products.

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OAO MMK - Magnitogorskiy Metallurgicheskiy Kombinat published this content on 26 July 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 03 August 2021 09:55:22 UTC.