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, experienced a surge in exports in the first quarter of 2021, according to local media reports.

The company saw increased exports in the first three months of the current year, with 533,600 metric tons of steel products sent abroad during the period.

In the first quarter, steel products were exported to 43 countries, including 37 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The export volume to the countries involved in the BRI was 473,100 tons, accounting for 94.05 percent of the total exports.

The company has actively optimized its product structure and vigorously explored the market for automotive steel, pipeline steel, rails and galvanized products.

It has developed new materials and specifications to meet market demand.

For the European market, the company has completed the R&D and trial production of European automotive steel products and realized the mass supply of automotive steel.

For the Japanese market, after obtaining Japanese JIS certification in 2020, a contract for 7,000 tons of Japanese galvanized steel sheets was successfully signed in January this year.

In addition, the company 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.

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.