According to the data issued by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy, during the first half of 2007 the domestic consumption of finished steel products in Russia increased by 15.7 percent year on year to 17.6 million metric tons.
During the period in question, deliveries made by Russian domestic producers to the market saw an increase of 11.9 percent to 15.4 million metric tons. Meanwhile, steel imports to Russia saw more than a 50 percent rise, accounting for the balance. The main importers in the first half of 2007 were China and South Korea (mainly flats), and CIS states (mainly long products). As a result of the increased imports, during the given period the share of imports in total Russian consumption rose to 12.5 percent from 9.5 percent in the first half of 2006.