According to the data released by metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), in the first seven months of 2010 Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products increased by 92.3 percent year on year, amounting to 737,530 mt.
In July this year, Ukraine's imports of rolled steel products saw a 37.2 percent increase compared to June, and a 49.6 percent increase compared to July 2009.
In January-July 2010, imports of steel products in Ukraine were as follows:
Jan-July 2009 | Jan-July 2010 | Jan-July 2010/Jan-July 2009 change (mt) | Jan-July 2010/Jan-July 2009 change (%) | July 2010/July 2009, change (mt) | July 2010/July 2009, change (%) | |
43,013 | 16,225 | -26,787 | -62.3 | +2,616 | +290.4 | |
Beam | 4,822 | 6,394 | +1,572 | +32.6 | +934 | +126.1 |
Wire rod | 2,912 | 8,600 | +5,689 | +195.4 | +321 | +91.2 |
Round bar | 37,401 | 69,846 | +32,445 | +86.7 | +4,183 | +43.0 |
HR sheet/coil | 59,346 | 160,460 | +101,114 | +170.4 | +2,020 | +9.6 |
Galvanized steel | 51,241 | 86,456 | +35,215 | +68.7 | +3,508 | +23.2 |
CR sheet | 39,928 | 57,861 | +17,932 | +44.9 | +4,782 | +67.1 |
Round billet | 114,646 | 251,444 | +136,799 | +119.3 | +21,526 | +74.4 |
Pipe | 21,220 | 25,101 | +3,881 | +18.3 | +14 | +0.5 |
Angle | 2,372 | 4,035 | +1,662 | +70.1 | +83 | +18.9 |
Channel | 1,811 | 2,775 | +964 | +53.2 | +913 | +533.6 |
Other | 4,825 | 48,333 | +43,509 | +901.8 | +4,090 | +129.9 |
Total | 383,536 | 737,530 | +353,994 | +92.3 | +44,991 | +49.6 |
In January-July 2010, one third of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 29.9 percent in the same period last year to 34.1 percent. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 15.5 percent to 21.8 percent. UGMK noted a drop in rebar imports from 11.2 percent to 2.2 percent, as well as year-on-year decreases in the shares of CR sheet/coils and pipes in Ukraine's total volume of steel imports, which dropped from 10.2 percent to 7.8 percent and from 5.5 percent to 3.4 percent respectively.
The main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in July 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 79.3 percent and 16.1 percent respectively of total supplies. About 88.3 percent of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe's pipemaking subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's main suppliers of HR sheet/coils in July 2010 were Russian steelmakers Severstal and Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), the respective shares of which amounted to 48.6 and 42.8 percent of total deliveries.
In July this year, Ukraine's main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 42.1 percent of overall steel imports into the country, and the machine building sector, with its share of overall imports amounting to 22.1 percent. Meanwhile, the local metal trade's share of steel imports amounted to 14.7 percent, UGMK said.