According to the preliminary data issued by the Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine, in Q1 2010 Ukraine registered an eight percent increase year on year in its finished steel product output to 6.755 million mt and a 16 percent rise in its crude steel output to 8.064 million mt.
In the first three months of 2010, Ukraine saw an 18 percent increase in its pig iron production to 6.973 million metric tons and a 13 percent growth in its coke output to 4.546 million metric tons, both compared to the same period last year. In addition, in January-March 2010 the country's production of steel pipes went up by four percent year on year to 344,000 metric tons, while its output of hardware increased by 25 percent year on year to 58,000 metric tons.
In its iron ore segment, in Q1 2010, Ukraine produced about 18.38 million metric tons of iron ore and 15.36 million metric tons of iron ore concentrate - up 31 percent and 35 percent respectively compared to the same period last year. In addition, during the period in question the country's agglomerate production amounted to 9.954 million mt - up 20 percent, while its pellet production totaled 5.444 million mt - up 22 percent, both compared to the data for Q1 2009.
Scrap deliveries to domestic steel producers increased in January-March 2010 by 32 percent year on year to 1.204 million mt.