According to preliminary data issued by the Ukrainian Association of Ore-dressing Enterprises (Ukrrudprom), in the first nine months of the current year Ukrainian steelmakers' imports of iron ore fell by 40.7 percent to 1.834 million mt, while Ukrainian mining companies' iron ore exports rose by 24.2 percent to 24.721 million mt, both compared to the same period last year.
In particular, in January-September this year, Ukraine's exports of iron ore concentrate increased by 21.8 percent year on year to 11.154 million mt, its exports of pellets went up by 20.5 percent to 8.423 million mt, while its exports of sintered ore climbed by 21.7 percent to about 4.42 million mt. In addition, during the period in question, Ukraine also shipped 724,900 mt of agglomerate for export - up 5.6 times compared to the same period last year.
On the other hand, in January-September of the current year, Ukraine's steel producers imported one million mt of iron ore concentrate - down 59 percent year on year, 761,700 mt of sintered ore - up 75.7 percent year on year, and 70,900 mt of pellets - down 59.4 percent year on year. However, Ukrainian steelmakers did not import any agglomerate in the first nine months of this year.
Ukraine's main importers of iron ore in the first nine months this year were Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol (1.216 million mt of iron ore - up 21.6 percent year on year), Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works named after F. Dzerzhinsky (338,000 mt of iron ore - down 72.5 percent year on year), Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works (216,800 mt of sintered ore - down 66.5 percent), and Dnepropetrovsk Iron and Steel Works named after Petrovsky (43,000 mt of pellets - down 75.2 percent).