According to the preliminary data, in the first four months of 2008 Ukraine increased its finished steel products output by four percent and its crude steel output by three percent year on year to 13.15 million metric tons and 14.68 million metric tons respectively. Meanwhile, during the period in question, Ukraine's pig iron production rose three percent to 12.17 million metric tons, compared to the corresponding period of 2007.
During the given period, Ukraine saw a 12 percent decrease in its steel pipe production to 816,000 metric tons but a nine percent increase in its coke production to 7.33 million metric tons.
In its iron ore segment, in January-April 2008 Ukraine produced 26.76 million metric tons of iron ore - up six percent, 21.27 million metric tons of iron ore concentrate - up eight percent, 7.48 million metric tons of pellets - unchanged, and 16.7 million metric tons of agglomerate - up one percent, all compared to January-April 2007.
In addition, during the first four months of 2008 scrap supplies to the Ukrainian steel mills went up by four percent year on year to 2.34 million metric tons.