MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. The Russian Economic Development Ministry expects pig iron production in Russia to decline by 4% to 48.5 mln metric tons in 2026, while steel production is projected to fall by 6% to 63.8 mln metric tons, according to a document published on the ministry’s website.

"In 2025, production indicators at metallurgical and pipe-making enterprises showed a downward trend due to weaker demand for metal products from major consumers on the domestic market," the document said.

By 2029, production of finished rolled ferrous metal products is expected to decline by 3.2% to 54.9 mln metric tons. Of the total finished rolled products, sheet metal production is projected to reach 26.4 mln metric tons by 2029, down 0.1% from 2025, while long product output is expected to total 28.5 mln metric tons, down 5.9% from 2025.

In non-ferrous metallurgy, production of major non-ferrous and precious metals showed mixed dynamics in 2025: precious metals production rose by 5%, aluminum production declined by 2.9%, copper production fell by 6.2%, while non-ferrous metal ore production increased by 7.1%.