According to the data issued by the Ukrainian Association of Metal Traders, in the first half of 2009 the country registered a 54.5 percent decrease in rolled steel consumption year on year to approximately 2,196,922 metric tons. Meanwhile, during the period in question, imports of rolled products to Ukraine went down by 75.7 percent year on year to 258,116 metric tons.
Accordingly, in January-June 2009 the Ukrainian pipe making companies reduced purchases of domestic and imported rolled products by 41.3 percent to 698,020 mt, local construction companies cut purchases by 74.4 percent to 36,831 mt, railway companies - by 28.2 percent to 41,377 mt, and hardware producers - by 52.3 percent to 176,962 mt, all compared with the same period of the previous year. Furthermore, Ukrainian steel traders, including the smaller companies, reduced their purchases of domestic and imported rolled steel products by 65.6 percent to 574,696 mt, mining and metallurgical companies cut their purchases by 22 percent to 352,520 mt, while machine building companies decreased purchases by 70 percent to 260,801 mt, all compared with the data for January-June 2008.