According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first five months of 2010 Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 122.7 percent year on year, amounting to about 502,900 mt.
In May this year, Ukraine increased its imports of rolled steel products by 16.4 percent compared to April and by 74 percent compared to May 2009.
In January-May 2010, imports of steel products in Ukraine were as follows:
Jan-May 2009 |
Jan-May 2010 |
Jan-May2010/2009 change (mt) |
Jan-May 2010/2009, change (%) |
May 2010/May 2009, change (mt) |
May 2010/May 2009, change (%) |
|
Rebar |
39,540 |
8,376 |
-31,164 |
-78.8 |
-4,586 |
-76.6 |
Beam |
3,288 |
4,032 |
+743 |
+22.6 |
-28 |
-3 |
Wire rod |
2,439 |
6,057 |
+3,618 |
+148.4 |
+1,458 |
+417.2 |
Round bar |
20,784 |
47,249 |
+26,465 |
+127.3 |
+6,438 |
+115.6 |
HR sheet/coil |
26,697 |
122,528 |
+95,832 |
+359 |
+7,959 |
+175.7 |
Galvanized steel |
23,547 |
54,606 |
+31,058 |
+131.9 |
+3,957 |
+57.6 |
CR sheet/coil |
26,356 |
34,755 |
+8,399 |
+31.9 |
+3,203 |
+52.4 |
Round billet |
63,337 |
166,709 |
+103,371 |
+163.2 |
+14,403 |
+60.5 |
15,794 |
19,168 |
+3,374 |
+21.4 |
+798 |
+31.4 |
|
Angle |
1,163 |
2,521 |
+1,359 |
+116.8 |
+177 |
+106.8 |
Channel |
1,556 |
1,394 |
-161 |
-10.4 |
-122 |
-41.1 |
Other |
1,322 |
35,471 |
+34,149 |
+2,583 |
+8,662 |
+9416.9 |
Total |
225,822 |
502,866 |
+277,044 |
+122.7 |
+42,319 |
+74 |
In January-May 2010, one third of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine was accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 28 percent in the same period last year to 33.2 percent. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 11.8 percent to 24.4 percent, while the share of galvanized steel increased from 10.9 percent to 11.3 percent. UGMK noted that these increases are due to the significant drop in rebar imports (from 17.5 percent to 1.7 percent), as well as due to the year-on-year decreases in the shares of pipes and CR sheet/coils in Ukraine's total volume of steel imports, which dropped from 7 percent to 3.8 percent and from 11.7 percent to 6.9 percent respectively.
The main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in January-May this year were Russia's Oskol Metallurgical Plant, a subsidiary of Metalloinvest, and Byelorussian Iron and Steel Works, the shares of which amounted to 70.7 percent and 20.8 percent respectively of total supplies. About 84.4 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's main importers of HR sheet/coils in the first five months of 2010 were Russian steelmakers Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and Severstal, the respective shares of which amounted to 81.4 and 8.6 percent of total deliveries.
During the period in question, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, which increased its share of overall steel imports into the country to 45.3 percent, from 33.9 percent for January-May 2009, and the machine building sector, with its share of overall imports amounting to 22.1 percent, compared to 16.8 percent in the same period last year. Meanwhile, the local metal trade sector saw a decrease in its share of steel imports to 14 percent, down from 33.4 percent in the first five months of 2009, UGMK said.