According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first quarter of 2010 Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products amounted to about 284,300 mt, showing a 142.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
In March this year, Ukraine increased its imports of rolled steel products by 12.5 percent compared to February, and by 85.9 percent compared to March 2009.
In Q1 2010, imports of steel products in Ukraine were as follows:
Product | Q1 2009 | Q1 2010 | Change (mt) | Change (%) |
24,797 | 6,433 | -18,363 | -74.1 | |
Beam | 2,000 | 2,156 | +156 | +7.8 |
1,522 | 3,537 | +2,015 | +132.4 | |
Round bars | 9,457 | 28,501 | +19,045 | +201.4 |
HR sheet/coil | 16,529 | 78,561 | +62,032 | +375.3 |
Galvanized steel | 8,908 | 28,448 | +19,540 | +219.4 |
CR sheet/coil | 12,643 | 16,546 | +3,903 | +30.9 |
Round billet | 28,889 | 90,901 | +62,012 | +214.7 |
Pipes | 10,383 | 11,729 | +1,346 | +13 |
Angle | 347 | 629 | +282 | +81.3 |
Channel | 904 | 592 | -312 | -34.5 |
Other | 1,021 | 16,262 | +15,241 | +1493.1 |
Total | 117,399 | 284,297 | +166,897 | +142.2 |
In Q1 2010, the biggest share in overall steel imports to Ukraine was held by round billets, which increased from 24.6 percent in the same period last year to 32 percent. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 14.1 percent to 27.6 percent, the share of round bars rose from 10 percent to 12 percent, while the share of galvanized steel increased from 10 percent to 12.4 percent. UGMK noted that these increases are due to the significant drop in rebar imports (from 21.1 percent to 2.3 percent), as well as due to the year-on-year decreases in the shares of pipes and CR sheet/coils in Ukraine's total volume of steel imports, which dropped from 8.8 percent to 4.1 percent and from 10.8 percent to 5.8 percent respectively.
The main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in Q1 this year were Russia's Oskol Metallurgical Plant, a subsidiary of Metalloinvest, and Byelorussian Iron and Steel Works, the shares of which amounted to 72.4 and 20.9 percent respectively of total supplies. About 84.4 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's main importers of HR sheet/coils in Q1 were Russian steelmakers Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and Severstal, the respective shares of which amounted to 83.3 and 9.1 percent of total deliveries.
In Q1 2010, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, which increased its share of overall steel imports into the country to 47.7 percent, from 32.2 percent for Q1 2009, and the machine building sector, which saw its share of overall imports rising to 19.6 percent, compared to 16.6 percent in the same period last year. Meanwhile, the local metal trade sector saw a decrease in its share of steel imports to 15.5 percent, down from 36.5 percent in the first three months of 2009, UGMK said.