According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first eight months of 2010 Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 93.2 percent year on year, amounting to 892,805 mt.
In August this year, Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products saw a 14.4 percent increase compared to July, and a 97.9 percent increase compared to August 2009.
In January-August 2010, imports of steel products in Ukraine were as follows:
Jan-Aug 2009 | Jan-Aug 2010 | Jan-Aug 2010/Jan-Aug 2009, change (%) | Aug 2010/Aug 2009, change (%) | |
44,925 | 22,188 | -50.6 | +211.9 | |
Beam | 5,513 | 7,499 | +36 | +59.9 |
3,633 | 8,951 | +146.4 | -51.4 | |
Round bar | 42,920 | 83,437 | +94.4 | +146.3 |
HR sheet/coil | 72,988 | 185,080 | +153.6 | +80.5 |
Galvanized steel | 61,872 | 107,493 | +73.7 | +97.9 |
CR sheet | 47,431 | 73,610 | +55.2 | +109.9 |
Round billet | 144,357 | 308,254 | +113.5 | +91.2 |
26,151 | 28,675 | +9.7 | -27.3 | |
Angle | 2,470 | 4,772 | +93.2 | +654.9 |
Channel | 1,931 | 5,842 | +202.6 | +2.456.6 |
Other | 7,840 | 57,002 | +627 | +187.5 |
Total | 462,030 | 892,805 | +93.2 | +97.9 |
In January-August 2010, one third of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 31.2 percent in the same period last year to 34.5 percent. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 15.8 percent to 20.7 percent. UGMK noted that rebar imports almost halved, with their share in overall rolled steel imports declining from 9.7 percent to 2.5 percent, while there were year-on-year decreases in the shares of CR sheet/coils and pipes in Ukraine's total volume of steel imports, dropping from 10.3 percent to 8.2 percent and from 5.7 percent to 3.2 percent respectively.
As in previous months, the main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in August 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 63.7 percent and 23.1 percent respectively of total supplies. About 92.3 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's main suppliers of HR sheet/coils in August were Russian steelmakers Severstal and Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), the respective shares of which amounted to 44.2 and 41.7 percent of total deliveries.
In August this year, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 40.9 percent of overall steel imports into the country, and the local metal traders, with their share of overall imports amounting to 19.2 percent. Meanwhile, the machine building sector's share of steel imports amounted to 17.5 percent, UGMK said.