MMK and Auto Maker KAMAZ Hold Coordinating Council Meeting

Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) hosted a regular session of the MMK–KAMAZ Coordinating Council, where representatives of MMK and one of the leading national car manufacturers highlighted the results of their cooperation in 2022 and outlined their future plans.

The event brought together representatives of the two companies’ technical and commercial departments, including both managers and specialists, to discuss ongoing joint projects and progress towards key strategic goals, as well as identify promising new areas of activity. A delegation of more than 30 people from KAMAZ took part in working groups on the quality, volume and timing of metal product deliveries.

Despite the challenging economic environment in Russia, MMK retains a leading position in the supply of metal products to automakers thanks to the Company’s attractive price-quality offering. Last year, MMK shipped 628,800 tonnes of metal products to automakers, including more than 100,000 tonnes to KAMAZ. The company accounted for about 57% of sheet metal supply to the Naberezhnye Chelny auto giant. According to Ravil Ibragimov, KAMAZ’s Deputy CEO for Procurement, MMK supplies both steel for longerons and metal for the production of truck cabins.

Import substitution was one of the central issues discussed at the meeting. The automaker has already replaced some imported products, particularly high-strength steels, with steel from MMK that fully meets all its requirements.

“In the past, KAMAZ often used foreign-made steel which we are now working hard to replace. Over the past year, we have incorporated three new grades of steel, and we are now taking on another one that in many respects surpasses not only international but also Russian analogues,” said Nikita Avdonin, Head of MMK’s Department of International Business Operations and Sales to the Automotive Industry.

At the Coordinating Council meeting, the partners signed a memorandum of understanding that serves as a work plan for 2023, including specific deadlines and individual responsibilities in making progress toward joint goals.