According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first ten months of 2010 Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 98.7 percent year on year, amounting to about 1.18 million mt.
In October this year, Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products saw a 2.5 percent decrease compared to September, and a 121.6 percent increase compared to October 2009.
In January-October 2010, imports of steel products in Ukraine were as follows:
Products | Jan-Oct 2009 (mt) | Jan-Oct 2010 (mt) | Jan-Oct 2010/ Jan-Oct 2009, change (%) | Oct 2010/ Oct 2009, change (%) |
47,429 | 22,443 | -52.7 | -97.6 | |
Beam | 6,619 | 11,118 | 68 | 346.8 |
5,866 | 9,482 | 61.7 | -70.4 | |
Round bar | 52,544 | 116,799 | 122.3 | 135.8 |
HR sheet/coil | 92,517 | 221,334 | 139.2 | 123 |
Galvanized steel | 81,886 | 144,232 | 76.1 | 128.7 |
CR sheet | 68,664 | 103,135 | 50.2 | -4.2 |
Round billet | 187,804 | 411,691 | 119.2 | 163.9 |
30,217 | 37,424 | 23.8 | 62.4 | |
Angle | 3,109 | 8,621 | 117.3 | 800 |
Channel | 2,204 | 7,567 | 243.3 | 611.2 |
Other | 13,061 | 82,055 | 528.2 | 652.6 |
Total | 591,921 | 1,175,902 | 98.7 | 121.6 |
In January-October 2010, one third of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 31.7 percent in the same period last year to 35 percent. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 15.6 percent to 18.8 percent. UGMK noted that rebar imports more than halved, with their share in overall rolled steel imports declining from eight percent to 1.9 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 11.6 percent to 8.8 percent and from 5.1 percent to 3.2 percent respectively.
As in previous months, the main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in October 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 70.1 percent and 16.1 percent respectively of total supplies. About 86.6 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's main suppliers of HR sheet/coils in October were Russian steelmakers Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and Severstal, the respective shares of which amounted to 49.3 percent and 37.1 percent of total deliveries.
In October this year, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 38.8 percent of overall steel imports into the country, and the machine building sector, with their share of overall imports amounting to 22.1 percent. Meanwhile, the local metal traders' share of steel imports amounted to 17.7 percent, UGMK said.