According to the preliminary data issued by the Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine, in the first eight months of 2009 Ukraine registered a 30 percent decline year on year in its finished steel product output to 17.072 million mt and a 35 percent decrease in its crude steel output to 18.944 million mt.
In January-August 2009, Ukraine saw a 38 percent decrease in its steel pipe production to 1.060 million metric tons and a 31 percent reduction in its pig iron production to 16.674 million metric tons. On the other hand, during the period in question the country's production of coke went down by 23 percent year on year to 11.372 million mt.
In its iron ore segment, in January-August of the current year Ukraine produced 40.753 million metric tons of iron ore and 33.963 million metric tons of iron ore concentrate - down 25 percent and 22 percent respectively compared to the same period last year. In addition, during the period in question, the country's agglomerate production amounted to 22.903 million mt - down 31 percent, while its pellet production totaled 12.838 million mt - down 17 percent, both compared to January-August 2008.
During the first eight months of 2009, scrap deliveries to Ukrainian mills decreased by 43 percent year on year to 2.714 million metric tons.