According to the preliminary data issued by the Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine, in the first six months of 2009 Ukraine registered a 34 percent decline year on year in its finished steel product output to 12.354 million mt and a 39 percent decrease in its crude steel output to 13.615 million mt.
In January-June 2009, Ukraine saw a 43 percent decrease in its steel pipe production to 728,000 metric tons and a 35 percent reduction in its pig iron production to 11.976 million metric tons. On the other hand, during the period in question the country's production of metallurgical coke went down by 26 percent year on year to 8.280 million mt, while its output of wire products decreased by 50 percent year on year to 99,000 metric tons.
In its iron ore segment, in January-June 2009 Ukraine produced 28.290 million metric tons of iron ore and 23.577 million metric tons of iron ore concentrate - down 30 percent and 27 percent respectively compared to the same period last year.