Import of Asian metal products to Ukraine doubled in five years

According to the data of the State Enterprise Derzhzovnishinform (DZI), the import of imported rolled metal into Ukraine has decreased by 4 percent over the past five years. At the same time, the total share of foreign rolled products in the domestic market of the country is more than 20 percent. This was stated by the head of the department of ferrous metallurgy markets of DZI Alexander Sheiko.

During a speech at an intellect-seminar organized by the Ukrainian Association of Ferrous Metallurgy Enterprises UkrMet, on Friday, February 28, Alexander Sheiko said that the apparent consumption of steel in Ukraine for 11 months of 2013 amounted to 7 million 690 thousand tons of which 20.6 percent was imports. In 2008, this figure was about 25 percent.

According to the results of 11 months of 2013, the apparent consumption of steel pipes amounted to 521.1 thousand tons, the share of imports - 16.1 percent, and in 2008, when 3.2 million tons of metal products were imported to Ukraine, this figure was 27.9 percent.

According to Oleksandr Sheiko, up to 50 percent of rolled metal imported to Ukraine can be replaced with domestic products.

In addition, the expert noted that against the background of a decrease in supplies from the CIS countries and Europe, steel imports from Southeast Asian countries have doubled since 2008.