Ukraine ups production in the first five months of 2006

According to the data released by the Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine, the country's output of finished steel products rose 2 percent, that of crude steel rose 1 percent and that of pig iron rose 0.4 percent year on year to 13.88 million tons, 16.38 million tons and 13.17 million tons respectively in January-May of 2006. Moreover, during the same period, the production of pipes rose 3 percent, that of iron ore rose 2 percent, that of concentrate rose 1 percent and that of pellets rose 3 percent to 946,000 tons, to 29.27 million tons, to 22.552 million tons and to 7.842 million tons respectively. On the other hand, the production of coke decreased 10 percent; that of ferroalloys decreased 22 percent and that of agglomerate decreased 3 percent year on year to 7.66 million tons, to 544,000 tons and to 19.66 million tons respectively in the first five months of 2006. In addition, during the given period, scrap supplies to the domestic metallurgical enterprises decreased 9 percent to 2.471 million tons.