According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first half of 2010 Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 105.5 percent year on year, amounting to about 601,800 mt.
In June this year, Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products saw a 0.6 percent decrease compared to May, but a 47.7 percent increase compared to June 2009.
In H1 2010, imports of steel products in Ukraine were as follows:
H1 2009 | H1 2010 | H1 2010/H1 2009 change (mt) | H1 2010/H1 2009, change (%) | June 2010/June 2009, change (mt) | June 2010/June 2009, change (%) | |
42,112 | 12,708 | -29,403 | -69.8 | +1,761 | +68.5 | |
Beam | 4,082 | 4,720 | +638 | +15.6 | -105 | -13.3 |
2,560 | 7,928 | +5,368 | +209.7 | +1,750 | +1442.9 | |
Round bar | 27,669 | 55,930 | +28,261 | +102.1 | +1,797 | +26.1 |
HR sheet/coil | 38,330 | 137,423 | +99,093 | +258.5 | +3,262 | +28 |
Galvanized steel | 36,108 | 67,815 | +31,707 | +87.8 | +648 | +5.2 |
CR sheet/coil | 32,805 | 45,956 | +13,150 | +40.1 | +4,751 | +73.7 |
Round billet | 85,718 | 200,991 | +115,273 | +134.5 | +11,902 | +53.2 |
18,182 | 22,049 | +3,867 | +21.3 | +493 | +20.6 | |
Angle | 1,933 | 3,512 | +1,579 | +81.7 | +221 | +28.7 |
Channel | 1,640 | 1,691 | +51 | +3.1 | +213 | +253.1 |
Other | 1,675 | 41,093 | +39,418 | +2,353.1 | +5,269 | +1492.2 |
Total | 292,813 | 601,817 | +309,003 | +105.5 | +31,960 | +47.7 |
In H1 2010, one third of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 29.3 percent in the same period last year to 33.4 percent. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 13.1 percent to 22.8 percent. UGMK noted the strong drop in rebar imports (from 14.4 percent to 2.1 percent), as well as 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 6.2 percent to 3.7 percent and from 11.2 percent to 7.6 percent respectively.
The main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in June 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 71.3 percent and 26.2 percent respectively of total supplies. About 84 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's main importers of HR sheet/coils in June 2010 were Russian steelmakers Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and Severstal, the respective shares of which amounted to 55.7 and 32.1 percent of total deliveries.
In June this year, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 34.2 percent of overall steel imports into the country, and the machine building sector, with its share of overall imports amounting to 25.7 percent. Meanwhile, the local metal trade's share of steel imports amounted to 16.5 percent, UGMK said.