According to the data, released by the metal trading enterprise Ukrainian Mining and Metallurgical Company, in January Ukraine’s imports of rolled steel products increased by 44.4% YoY, but decreased by 19.6% compared to December 2010 amounting to 119,300 tons.
In the first month of January one quarter of overall rolled steel imports to Ukraine were accounted for by round billets, the share of which increased from 23.4% YoY to 26.3%. In addition, UGMK noted an increase in imports of cold-rolled sheet/coils from 4,580 tons to 8,040 tons with their share increasing from 5.6% to 6.7%, and a growth in steel pipe imports from 3,150 tons to 7,560 tons with their share growing from 3.8% to 6.3% all compared to January 2010.
UGMK noted a drop in HR sheet/coils imports during the period in question, with their share in overall rolled steel imports declining by 17.7% to 14.6%. Meanwhile, there were almost no imports of rebar in January.
Ukraine’s main suppliers of HR sheet/coils in January were the Russian steelmakers Severstal, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and Novolipetsk Steel, the respective shares of which amounted to 72.7%, 24.2% and 1.5% of total deliveries.
In January Ukraine’s main importers of rolled steel products were the pipe sector, the share of which amounted to 34.5% of overall steel imports into the country, the machine-building sector with its share of overall imports amounting to 24.1% and local mining and metallurgical companies, with their share amounting to 17.1% of overall rolled steel product imports. (SteelOrbis)