According to the preliminary data, in the first month of 2008 Ukraine decreased its finished steel products output by one percent but increased its crude steel output also by one percent year on year to 3.06 million metric tons and 3.64 million metric tons respectively. Meanwhile, during the period in question, Ukraine's pig iron production rose two percent to 3.012 million metric tons, compared to the corresponding period of 2007.
During the given period, Ukraine saw a 19 percent decrease in its steel pipe production to 165,000 metric tons but an eight percent increase in its coke production to 1.78 million metric tons.
In its iron ore segment, in January 2008, Ukraine produced 6.7 million metric tons of iron ore - up six percent, 5.36 million metric tons of iron ore concentrate - up seven percent, 1.83 million metric tons of pellets - down two percent, and 4.1 million metric tons of agglomerate - down three percent, all compared to January 2007.
In addition, during the first month of 2008 scrap supplies to the Ukrainian steel mills went up by one percent year on year to 403,000 metric tons.