According to preliminary data issued by the Ukrainian Association of Ore-dressing Enterprises (Ukrrudprom), in the first seven months of the current year Ukrainian steelmakers' imports of iron ore fell by 39.4 percent to 1.575 million mt, while Ukrainian mining companies' iron ore exports rose by 33.5 percent to 19.405 million mt, both compared to the same period last year.
In particular, in January-July this year, Ukraine's exports of iron ore concentrate increased by 31.7 percent year on year to 8.859 million mt, its exports of pellets went up by 22.6 percent to 6.547 million mt, while its exports of sintered ore climbed by 35.7 percent to 3.313 million mt. In addition, during the period in question, Ukraine also shipped 686,500 mt of agglomerate, of which there were no exports during the same period last year.
On the other hand, in January-July of the current year, Ukraine's steel producers imported 902,300 million mt of iron ore concentrate - down 56.3 percent year on year, 620,100 mt of sintered ore - up 61.5 percent year on year, and 52,900 mt of pellets - down 58.8 percent year on year. However, Ukrainian steelmakers did not import any agglomerate in the first seven months of this year.
Ukraine's main importers of iron ore in the first seven months this year were Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol (1.112 million mt of iron ore - up 70.3 year on year), Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works named after F. Dzerzhinsky (281,700 mt of iron ore - down 75.1 percent year on year), Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works (136,900 mt of sintered ore - down 78.8 percent), and Dnepropetrovsk Iron and Steel Works named after Petrovsky (25,000 mt of pellets - down 83.3 percent, with no imports in June and July).