The Ukrainian association of metal producers Metallurgprom has said that Ukrainian steelmakers could face a serious coking coal shortage as a consequence of the accident last weekend at Russia's largest coal mine Raspadskaya.
Accordingly, of the country's 700,000 mt of monthly imports of coking coal, about 75 percent has been imported from Russia, mostly from the Siberian region, and in particular from the Raspadskaya mine. Considering the current decrease in Russia's exports of coking coal to Ukraine, in June this year the shortage is likely to become worse.
In June 2010, the supply of Ukrainian origin coal for the needs of the domestic steel industry is expected to be at the level of 1.45 million mt, with an additional 700,000 mt having to be imported.