According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first quarter of the current year Ukrainian exports of steel products increased by 7.8 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2010, rising to 6.108 million mt. In March alone, Ukraine's steel product exports rose by 30.5 percent compared to February to 2.216 million mt.
In the first three months of 2011, Ukraine registered a 6.7 percent increase in its steel product imports year on year to 362,000 mt. In March alone, steel product imports to Ukraine increased by 8.6 percent compared to February, rising to 0.136 million mt.
For reference, in 2010 Ukrainian metallurgical companies increased their exports by 5.6 percent year on year to 23.746 million mt. During the period in question, Ukraine imported 1.678 million mt of steel products - up 74.4 percent year on year.