According to the data issued by the Ukrainian Association of Metal Traders, in the first four months of 2009 the country registered a 57.3 percent reduction in steel consumption year on year to approximately 1,388,581 metric tons. Meanwhile, during the period in question, imports of steel products to Ukraine went down by 79.9 percent year on year to 146,092 metric tons.
Accordingly, in January-April 2009 the Ukrainian pipemaking companies reduced purchases of domestic and imported steel products by 47.9 percent to 411,480 mt, local construction companies cut purchases by 78.1 percent to 21,376 mt, railway companies - by 22.2 percent to 21,357 mt, and hardware producers - by 59.1 percent to 101,597 mt, all compared with the same period of the previous year. Furthermore, Ukrainian steel sellers, including the smaller companies, reduced their purchases of domestic and imported steel products by 65.9 percent to 387,563 mt, mining and metallurgical companies cut their purchases by 23.5 percent to 239,246 mt, while machine building companies decreased purchases by 71.3 percent to 170,694 mt, all compared with the data for January-April 2008.