Ukrainian rolled steel imports increase by 22.3 percent in Jan-Feb

According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in January-February this year Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 22.3 percent year on year amounting to 234,700 mt.
 
In the first two months of 2011, one third of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 27.7 percent in the same period last year to 32 percent. In addition, UGMK noted an increase in imports of galvanized steel, with their share rising from 9.2 percent to 10.3 percent year on year.
 
Meanwhile, UGMK noted a drop in HR sheet/coils imports during the period in question, with their share in overall rolled steel imports declining from 25.7 percent to 13 percent, and a decrease in round bar imports, with their  share dropping from 10.1 percent to 6.3 percent, all compared to January-February 2010.  Meanwhile, there were no imports of rebar in the first two months of this year.
 
In February this year, Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products saw a 3.3 percent decrease compared to January and a 5.6 percent increase compared to February 2010.
 
The main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in February this year were Russia's Oskol Metallurgical Plant, a subsidiary of Metalloinvest, and Byelorussian Iron and Steel Works (BMZ), the shares of which amounted to 77.6 percent and 16.9 percent respectively of total supplies. About 87.2 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
 
Ukraine's main suppliers of HR sheet/coils in February were Russian steelmakers Severstal, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), the respective shares of which amounted to 43.5 percent, 44.7 percent and 7.4 percent of total deliveries.
 
In February this year, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 41.1 percent of overall steel imports into the country, the machine-building sector, with its share of overall imports amounting to 22.4 percent, and local mining and metallurgical companies, with their share amounting to 12 percent of overall rolled steel product imports. Meanwhile, the local metal traders' share of steel imports amounted to 10.1 percent, UGMK said.