According to preliminary data issued by the Ukrainian Association of Ore-dressing Enterprises (Ukrrudprom), in the first eight months of the current year Ukrainian steelmakers' imports of iron ore fell by 38.9 percent to 1.725 million mt, while Ukrainian mining companies' iron ore exports rose by 30 percent to 22.295 million mt, both compared to the same period last year.
In particular, in January-August this year, Ukraine's exports of iron ore concentrate increased by 29.6 percent year on year to 10.207 million mt, its exports of pellets went up by 21 percent to about 7.51 million mt, while its exports of sintered ore climbed by 28.6 percent to 3.863 million mt. In addition, during the period in question, Ukraine also shipped 716,100 mt of agglomerate for export - up 12 times compared to the same period last year.
On the other hand, in January-August of the current year, Ukraine's steel producers imported 960,500 million mt of iron ore concentrate - down 56.7 percent year on year, 695,200 mt of sintered ore - up 60.3 percent year on year, and 69,100 mt of pellets - down 54 percent year on year. However, Ukrainian steelmakers did not import any agglomerate in the first eight months of this year.
Ukraine's main importers of iron ore in the first eight months this year were Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol (1.175 million mt of iron ore - up 46.6 percent year on year), Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works named after F. Dzerzhinsky (307,100 mt of iron ore - down 74 percent year on year), Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works (181,200 mt of sintered ore - down 72 percent), and Dnepropetrovsk Iron and Steel Works named after Petrovsky (41,200 mt of pellets - down 74.6 percent).