According to Mr. Vasily Kharahulah, general director of Metallurgprom, a union of steelmakers in Ukraine, at the meeting regarding problems of mining and metallurgy complex, the production of steel in February in Ukraine is planned the same as for January, but taking into account that February is 3 days shorter then January.
According to his words, Ukrainian steelmakers plan to produce in February 2.38 million tons of pig iron, 2.82 million tons of crude steel, 2.62 million tons of steel rolled products. He has also remarked there are no problems in supplying steelmakers with steel raw materials but it is necessary to import 30,000 tons of coke.
By preliminary data of Metallurgprom, losses of steelmakers in 2009 are UAH 5 billion, effectiveness is minus 3.5% to 4%. Mr. Vasily Kharahulah said “There are mutual debts between producers and consumers of products. Payments leave much to be desired.”
Before that the Ministry for Industrial Policy of Ukraine has informed that it plans a growth of production in 2010 by 3% to 4% in comparison with the recent year. The ministry forecasts pig iron production in 2010 at the level of 26.5 million tons, steel at 30.5 million tons, finished steel products at 28.5 million tons.
In 2009 steel production in Ukraine dropped by 17.4% in comparison to 2008 to 29.757 million tons, pig iron production dropped by 13% to 25.673 million tons, finished steel by 15.8% to 26.465 million tons. (Minprom)
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