Billet is the middle raw material in rod production. This billet is heated and molded to make iron bars (rods). Even five years ago, this important raw material for making steel and iron products was dependent on imports. However, with the initiative of private sector entrepreneurs, that situation has now completely changed.
However, the policy of raising tariffs on imports, including coming out of the power crisis, has played a big role in this sector. The demand for billets was around 4 million tons a year even five years ago. At that time the amount of import was about 18 lac tons. Apart from this, the demand of about 21-22 lac tons was met by collecting billets and ship-breaking iron plates made in the country. But by increasing the production capacity locally in last five years, the entrepreneurs have completely changed that situation.
Although the annual demand is increasing now, almost all of it is being made in the country. Besides, billets have now started to be exported. Instead of intermediate raw material billets, now the raw material for making billets is old iron pieces. At one time billets were made only in Chittagong Steel Mills in Bangladesh. Apart from billets, ingots and corrugated sheets were also produced in this government factory.
Before the government closed the Chittagong Steel Mills, the BSRM group took the first initiative to set up a billet factory in the country in 1996. At present, BSRM, Abul Khair Group, GPH Ispat and KSRM are producing more than 90 per cent of the billet capacity in the country. China is the world's leading steel producer. The lion's share of billet imports to Bangladesh also came from China. And for the first time in that country, GPH Steel has shown the achievement of exporting billets from Bangladesh. GPH Group, currently the most enterprising billet exporter, has already exported one lac tons to China in four ships. Talks are now underway on billet exports to Dubai. Billets will be exported to the country only if they can ensure the price as per the demand.
Earlier, the company's first billet export started in 2009 in Sri Lanka. GPH Steel is producing billets using the latest technology of electric arc furnace 'Quantum EAAF' at the world's most advanced technology steel factory on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Kumira area of Sitakunda, Chittagong. In rod or billet production it is much more environmentally friendly and electricity-gas efficient than any other consideration. GPH Steel has taken steps to increase the annual billet production capacity to 1 million tons by combining new and old factories.
Even a few years ago, the rod factories did not have the capacity to make billets as per the demand. But now the picture is different. At the import stage, GPH are producing billets by melting old iron by setting up factories with new investment in a positive step of the customs-tax government policy. They are also exporting that billet.
The most important thing in this case is to ensure
quality. They have a plan to increase exports to a large scale soon if there is
government policy support including global branding while maintaining quality
standards. By ensuring quality, it is possible to bring export success not only
to China, but to any country in the world. The mission of the Prime Minister's
Vision 2041 is being given good importance in our action plan.
Thanks,
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