Steelmaking production in Ukraine in 2013 will grow by 3% compared to the expected performance of this year up to 33.7 million tons.
Director of the Ukrpromvneshekspertiza Centre Mr. Volodymyr Vlasyuk said in 2012 domestic steel plants made 32.7 million tons of steel. He said that the following year steelmakers would be favored by the fall in world prices for iron ore and coking coal.
The analyst said that “However the demand for finished products will not significantly increase. In 2013 Ukraine can expect a slight increase in exports and domestic sales. The annual average sales price for rolled metal in foreign and domestic markets will decline by 5-7%. However under falling prices the prime cost profitability will remain unchanged at 3% level. Accordingly the Ukrainian economy will operate in conditions of reduced earnings from rolled metal products exports”.
The experts believe that the domestic market may grow by 300 thousand tons due to repairs and renovation of existing facilities, in particular of the Ukrzaliznytsia railway company metallurgical enterprises housing construction of terminals in ports etc. (SteelGuru)