A steel production workshop owned by Baogang Group. [Photo/Baotou Daily]

Baotou Steel International Economic & Trading Co, a subsidiary of iron and steel manufacturer Baogang Group based in Baotou, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has signed a contract for the export of 4,200 metric tons of rails to Azerbaijan, marking the first time that Baogang-produced rails have been exported to the Asian country, reports Baotou Daily.

It also marked the first time that China has exported steel rail products to Azerbaijan, or indeed any of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

Earlier in January, the company signed an agreement to export more than 7,000 tons of galvanized coils to Japan, a large-scale export. This batch of coils will mainly be used in wheel hubs and home decoration.

This year, the company also completed the development and sale of automotive steel to the European market, and signed a contract for more than 3,500 tons of automotive steel. It is expected to start production and delivery next month.

During the first two months of 2021, the company achieved an import and export volume of $452 million.

During the period, the company exported steel products to 39 countries and regions, including 33 countries involved in Belt and Road Initiative, with an export volume of 318,300 tons, accounting for 93.4 percent of total exports.