According to the data issued by Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, in Q1 2010 the country's domestic consumption of rolled steel products went up by 23.6 percent year on year to 6.8 million mt.
In Q1 this year, deliveries of Russian origin rolled steel products to the domestic market increased by 5.5 percent to 5.8 million mt, while imports of these products doubled to one million mt, both compared to Q1 2009.
"The increase in rolled steel products consumption is due to the rise of demand for pipe-making (billets and strips) and hardware production, as well as due to the growth in steel consuming industries (oil and gas, production of vehicles and equipment, etc.)," reads the ministry's statement.