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Yugoslavia Table of Contents

Yugoslavia

Metallurgy

Among major metallurgical facilities were the Trepca Combine in Kosovo, which produced zinc, tin, and electrolyte, plus refined silver and gold; the Metal Semifinished Products Industry at Slovenska Bistrica (Slovenia), specializing in alumina processing; the Smederevo Metallurgical Combine, known for microalloys and automobile steel important in replacing imported metals; the Zorka Plant at Sabac (western Serbia), which produced sheet and finished metals; and the Topola Foundry of western Serbia, important for cast iron and modular metals for the auto industry. In 1987 the metallurgy industry contributed one-third of Yugoslavia's total exports ($US4.2 billion). In the 1980s, however, many of Yugoslavia's steel-producing industries faced stagnation because of hard-currency shortages that curtailed the import of cold-rolled steel used in finishing. Outdated extraction technology and weak infrastructure hindered enterprises that relied on domestic materials.

Data as of December 1990