According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first nine months of 2010 Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 96.1 percent year on year, amounting to 1.037 million mt.
In September this year, Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products saw a 7.6 percent increase compared to August, and a 115.9 percent increase compared to September 2009.
In January-September 2010, imports of steel products in Ukraine were as follows:
Products | Jan-Sept 2009 (mt) | Jan-Sept 2010 (mt) | Jan-Sept 2010/ Jan-Sept 2009, change (%) | Sept 2010/ Sept 2009, change (%) |
Rebar | 45,549 | 22,398 | -50.8 | -66.4 |
Beam | 6,065 | 8,644 | +42.5 | +107.4 |
Wire rod | 4,070 | 8,951 | +119.9 | -100 |
Round bar | 46,768 | 103,182 | +120.6 | +413 |
HR sheet/coil | 84,901 | 204,352 | +140.7 | +61.8 |
Galvanized steel | 74,064 | 126,341 | +70.6 | +54.6 |
CR sheet | 56,300 | 91,293 | +62.2 | +99.4 |
Round billet | 166,600 | 355,724 | +113.5 | +113.4 |
28,436 | 35,489 | +24.8 | +198.1 | |
Angle | 2,826 | 6,078 | +115 | +266.5 |
Channel | 2,093 | 6,778 | +223.8 | +476.6 |
Other | 11,175 | 67,864 | +507.3 | +225.7 |
Total | 528,848 | 1,037,094 | +96.1 | +115.9 |
In January-September 2010, one third of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 31.5 percent in the same period last year to 34.3 percent. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 16.1 percent to 19.7 percent. UGMK noted that rebar imports almost halved, with their share in overall rolled steel imports declining from 8.6 percent to 2.2 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 10.6 percent to 8.8 percent and from 5.4 percent to 3.4 percent respectively.
As in previous months, the main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in September 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 70.7 percent and 19.5 percent respectively of total supplies. About 81.1 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's main suppliers of HR sheet/coils in September were Russian steelmakers Severstal and Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), the respective shares of which amounted to 25.9 percent and 57.9 percent of total deliveries.
In September this year, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 37.2 percent of overall steel imports into the country, and the local metal traders, with their share of overall imports amounting to 14.7 percent. Meanwhile, the machine building sector's share of steel imports amounted to 11.4 percent, UGMK said.