Metinvest International to set up two new representations

Swiss based steel trading company Metinvest International SA, part of Metinvest Group, announced the launch of two new branch offices: the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Tunis, Tunisia.

As part of the company’s customer proximity strategy, the offices will promote new steel products, allow better information exchange, reinforce partnerships and expand Metinvest presence in the Gulf and North Africa regions.

The office in Jebel Ali will handle business requirements for United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Viktor Vukusic has been appointed as Dubai Jebel Ali Free Zone Branch Manager, bringing extensive international trading experience. In 2008 Metinvest shipped about 430Kt of billets to Gulf countries, including 255Kt to UAE, 138Kt to Oman, 37Kt to Saudi Arabia.

The liaison office in Tunis is operating under the direction of Mr. Ghazi Maherzi. In 2008 Metinvest shipped about 780Kt of billets, 37 Kt of wire rods, beams and channels and 5 Kt  of plate to North Africa countries. New product range will include rebar of various steel grades, wire rod, angles, channels, I-beams, plate, SAW pipes.

 “The Gulf and North Africa have traditionally been important markets for steel consumption," said Andrey Parkhomchuk, CEO of Metinvest International SA, “For many years Metinvest has established an excellent and very successful partnership with the regions’ companies and we are very confident that our new offices will permit to enhance and foster this partnership”.

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Metinvest International SA, located in Geneva (Switzerland), is the distribution channel of Steel and Rolled Products Division’s Sales Service of Metinvest Group. It is responsible for export sales of iron ore raw materials, semi-finished and finished steel products manufactured by Metinvest Group mining and steelmaking companies onto foreign markets outside Ukraine and CIS. Metinvest International has representations and agencies in 14 countries around the world, which constitute the global sales network covering all major regional market segments. The company is represented in Istanbul (Turkey), Beirut (Lebanon), Beijing (China), Milano (Italy), Belgrade (Serbia), Teheran (Iran), Vilnius (Lithuania), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), Singapore (Singapore), Jebel Ali (UAE), Tunis (Tunisia) and has authorized agents in Santo-Domingo (Dominican Republic), Toronto (Canada).

Metinvest is an international vertically-integrated mining and steel group of companies. Production facilities of Metinvest produce enough steelmaking raw materials to meet its own demand and to be the key supplier to major steelmaking companies in Ukraine, Europe and Asia.

The major shareholders of Metinvest are SCM Group (75% ownership) and Smart-Holding (25% ownership) partnering in Company’s management. The merger of mining and metals assets of SMC and Smart-Holding has started in 2007 and will have been accomplished in 2009.

Metinvest Holding is the managing company of Metinvest Group.