According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in January this year Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 44.4 percent year on year, but decreased by 19.6 percent compared to December 2010, amounting to 119,300 mt.
In the first month of January, one quarter of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 23.4 percent in the same period last year to 26.3 percent. In addition, UGMK noted an increase in imports of cold rolled sheet/coils from 4,580 mt to 8,040 mt, with their share increasing from 5.6 percent to 6.7 percent, and a growth in steel pipe imports from 3,150 mt to 7,560 mt, with their share growing from 3.8 percent to 6.3 percent, all compared to January 2010.
Meanwhile, UGMK noted a drop in HR sheet/coils imports during the period in question, with their share in overall rolled steel imports declining by 17.7 percentage points to 14.6 percent. Meanwhile, there were almost no imports of rebar in January.
Ukraine's main suppliers of HR sheet/coils in January this year were Russian steelmakers Severstal, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), the respective shares of which amounted to 72.7 percent, 24.2 percent and 1.5 percent of total deliveries.
In January this year, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 34.5 percent of overall steel imports into the country, the machine-building sector, with its share of overall imports amounting to 24.1 percent, and local mining and metallurgical companies, with their share amounting to 17.1 percent of overall rolled steel product imports, UGMK said.