According to the data released by the metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company, in the first four months of 2010 Ukraine’s imports of rolled steel products more than doubled and amounted to around 403,300 tons, up by 139.2% YoY.

In April this year, Ukraine increased its imports of rolled steel products by 10.4% MoM to March and by 132.5% YoY. Rebar imports were almost nonexistent in April while imports of hot-rolled sheet products increased.
Product
January-April 2009, t
January-April 2010, t
Change, %
Rebar
33,550
6,973
-79.2
Beam
2,376
3,147
32.4
Wire rod
2,089
4,250
103.4
Round bar
15,216
35,242
131.6
HR sheet and coil
22,167
110,040
396.4
Galvanized steel
16,681
43,783
162.5
CR sheet and coil
20,239
25,435
25.7
Round billet
39,545
128,513
225
Pipe
13,251
15,827
19.4
Angle
997
2,178
118.5
Channel
1,259
1,220
-3.1
Other
1,230
26,717
2072
Total
168,600
403,325
139.2
In January to April 2010, the biggest share in overall steel imports to Ukraine was held by round billets which increased from 23.5 YoY to 31.9%. In addition, during the period in question the share of HR sheet/coils went up from 13.1% to 27.3% while the share of galvanized steel increased from 10.9% to 11.9%.
UGMK noted that these increases were due to the significant drop in rebar imports as well as due to the YoY decreases in the shares of pipes and CR sheet/coils in Ukraine’s total volume of steel imports which dropped from 7.9% to 3.9% and from 12% to 6.8% respectively.
The main suppliers of round billets to Ukraine in January to April this year were Oskol Metallurgical Plant, a subsidiary of Metalloinvest (Russia), and the Byelorussian Iron and Steel Works, the shares of which amounted to 64.4% and 25.7% respectively of total supplies. About 84.9% of total imports of round billets were supplied to Interpipe pipemaking subsidiaries. Meanwhile Ukraine’s main importers of HR sheet/coils in the first four months of 2010 were Russian steelmakers Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and Severstal, the respective shares of which amounted to 83.2% and 9.1% of total deliveries.
UGMK said during the period in question, Ukraine’s main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, which increased its share of overall steel imports into the country to 47.2% from 29.9% for January to April 2009, and the machine-building sector, with its share of overall imports amounting to 18.1% compared to 21.4% YoY. Meanwhile, the local metal trade sector saw a decrease in its share of steel imports to 14.4% down from 35.4% in the first four months of 2009. (SteelOrbis)

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