In the first month of the current year, Ukraine registered lower results in terms of steel semis exports.
Ukrainian mills sold 631,309 mt of billet and slabs abroad in January, down 25.5 percent year on year, according to the preliminary disclosed data. In terms of value, the semis exports decreased by 35.9 percent to $232.4 million, SteelOrbis has learned. Supplies to Turkey and Italy, the main destinations for Ukrainian slabs, accounted for 32.6 percent and 20.5 percent of the total value respectively. In the meantime, Bulgaria’s share was 11.25 percent of value in January as Metinvest group continued to ship billet to its Bulgarian asset Promet.
In 2019, Ukraine increased its semis exports by 12 percent year on year to 7.047 million mt as lower billet output due to DMK’s stoppages was compensated by improved production volumes in the slab segment amid favourable market conditions, SteelOrbis understands.