Metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine cut steel smelting by 1% in 2019 compared with 2018, to 20.848 million tonnes.
According to the reference documents of the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture, which are available to the Interfax-Ukraine, the output of total rolled metal also decreased 1%, to 18.387 million tonnes, and pig iron production fell by 2%, to 20.064 million tonnes.
At the same time, the agency’s source in the ministry said that scrap metal supplies to metal enterprises last year fell by 10% to 3.011 million tonnes.
In 2019, pipe production fell by 9%, to 1.005 million tonnes, coke – by 7%, to 10.059 million tonnes, and metal products remained at the level of 188,000 tonnes.
Mining enterprises last year increased iron ore production by 4%, to 75.710 million tonnes, production of iron ore concentrate grew by 5%, to 63.084 million tonnes, but they reduced prepared iron ore by 3%, to 51.675 million tonnes, including sinter production that decreased by 2%, to 30.911 million tonnes, and pellets that fell by 3%, to 20.764 million tonnes.
Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises are expected to increase steel production by 4% by the end of the year compared to 2018, up to 21.895 million tonnes.
According to background documents of Economic Development and Trade Ministry available for Interfax-Ukraine, a total rolled steel output will see 3% rise by the end of 2019, up to 18.937 million tonnes, when pig iron will see 0.4% down, to 20.748 million tonnes.
Such forecast was made following the performance indicator of January-July 2019, the ministry said.
The agency’s source in the ministry also said that under ongoing trends scrap metals supplies to the enterprises would decrease by 3%, to 3.238 million tonnes.
Besides, pipe output in 2019 may grow by 19%, to 1.144 million tonnes, coke output will drop by 5%, to 10.305 million tonnes, metalware output will drop by 1%, to 186,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the metal and mining enterprise can increase iron ore extraction by 4%, to 76.095 million tonnes, iron ore concentrate output by 5%, to 63.568 million tonnes, ready iron ore raw materials may increase by 1%, to 53.696 million tonnes. Sinter cake output will remain on the level of previous year with 31.706 million tonnes, steel pellets output will increase by 3% reaching 21.989 million tonnes.
Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises intend to increase steel production by 2.8% in September 2019 in comparison with the planned figures for August, to 1.85 million tonnes from 1.8 million tonnes.
According to information from the Ukrmetalurgprom association, the plan for September also envisages decrease in pig iron production by 2.8%, down to 1.75 million tonnes from 1.8 million tonnes and an increase of total rolled steel production by 3.1% compared to the previous forecast for August, to 1.65 million tonnes from 1.6 million tonnes.
Ukraine in January-July 2019 produced iron ore concentrate in the amount of 36.92 million tonnes (105% against the same period in 2018), sinter some 18.42 million tonnes (101%), pellets some 12.77 million tonnes (102%), gross coke (6% moisture) some 5.99 million tonnes (95%), pig iron some 11.89 million tonnes (99.8%), steel some 11 million tonnes (104%), rolled products some 11 million tonnes (102%), and pipes some 0.67 million tonnes (103%), according to the updated data.
In July pig iron production stood at 1.65 million tonnes (108% from June 2019), that of steel some 1.78 million tonnes (108%), and rolled goods some 1.51 million tonnes (101%).
As of August 13 this year, 17 out of 21 blast furnaces, eight out of nine open-hearth furnaces, 14 out of 16 converters, five out of 15 electric furnaces and 15 out of 15 continuous casting machines were in operation.
In July 2019, the metallurgical enterprises received nearly 2.4 million of iron ore concentrate (118% if to compare with June 2019), thus none of iron ore concentrate imported last months.
In July 2019, scrap collectors stored 192,000 of scrap iron (59% to June 2019), the total volume was supplied to the domestic enterprises. None of scrap iron was exported last month.
Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises plan to retain smelting of steel at the level of the forecast for July in August 2019, to 1.8 million tonnes.
According to the Ukrmetalurgprom association, the plan for August also provides for the preservation of total pig iron production at the level of 1.8 million tonnes and reduction of total rolled steel smelting by 5.9%, to 1.6 million tonnes from 1.7 million tonnes.
According to the updated data from Ukrmetallurgprom, in January-June 2019, 31.62 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate (105% compared to the same period of 2018), 15.8 million tonnes of sinter (102%), 10.93 million tons of pellets (103%), 5.19 million tonnes of gross coke with 6% moisture (97%), 10.24 million tonnes of pig iron (101%), 10.93 million tonnes of steel (105%), 9.42 million tonnes of rolled metal (102%) and 560,000 tonnes of pipe products (104%).
In June, 1.524 million tonnes of pig iron was produced (less by 9% compared to May 2019), 1.659 million tonnes of steel (91%), 1.5 million tonnes of rolled products (86%).
As of July 9, 2019, 17 out of 21 blast furnaces, seven out of nine open-hearth furnaces, 13 out of 16 converters, six out of 15 electric furnaces and 15 out of 15 continuous casting machines were in operation.
Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises in May 2019 increased steel production by 7.8% compared to the same period in 2018, to 1.827 million tonnes, stepping down from 12th place to the 13th in the ranking of 64 countries, the major global manufacturers of these products, compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel). An increase in steel production in most of the top ten countries, except for Japan, Russia, Germany, and Turkey was recorded in May.
The top ten producer countries in May are as follows: China (89.091 million tonnes, an increase of 10%), India (9.196 million tonnes, an increase of 5.1%), Japan (8.676 million tonnes, a decline of 4.6%), the United States (7.653 million tonnes, an increase of 5.4%), South Korea (6.371 million tonnes, an increase of 2.2%), the Russian Federation (5.95 million tonnes, a decrease of 2.7%), Germany (3.47 million tonnes, a drop of 6.2%), Turkey (3.063 million tonnes, a decrease of 8%), Brazil (2.751 million tonnes, an increase of 2.9%), and Iran (2.235 million tonnes, an increase of 3.8%).
They are followed by Italy (2.215 million tonnes, a growth of 1.1%), Taiwan (China, 2.04 million tonnes, a decrease of 2.6%) and Ukraine (1.827 million tonnes, an increase of 7.8%).
In May, 64 countries produced 162.744 million tonnes of steel, which is 5.4% more than in May 2018.
In January-May 2019, 64 countries produced 764.072 million tonnes of steel, which is 5% more than in the same period last year.
Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises in April 2019 increased steel production by 12.6% compared to the same period in 2018, to 1.938 million tonnes, climbing to 12th place from the 13th in the ranking of 64 countries, the major global manufacturers of these products, compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel).
An increase in steel production in most of the top ten countries, except for Japan, Russia, Germany and Brazil was recorded in April.
The top ten producer countries in April are as follows: China (85.032 million tonnes, an increase of 12.7%), India (8.785 million tonnes, an increase of 1.5%), Japan (8.647 million tonnes, a decline of 0.8%), the United States (7.428 million tonnes, an increase of 7.3%), South Korea (5.978 million tonnes, an increase of 1.4%), the Russian Federation (5.6 million tonnes, a decrease of 8.3%), Germany (3.358 million tonnes, a drop of 8.7%) , Turkey (3.044 million tonnes, an increase of 2.6%), Brazil (2.886 million tonnes, a fall of 1.9%) and Iran (2.165 million tonnes, an increase of 2.8%).
They are followed by Italy (1.950 million tonnes, a fall of 5.7%), Ukraine (1.938 million tonnes, an increase of 12.6%) and Taiwan (China, 1.930 million tonnes, a fall of 5%).
In April, 64 countries produced 156.671 million tonnes of steel, which is 6.4% more than in April 2018.
In January-April 2019, 64 countries produced 599.857 million tonnes of steel, which is 4.8% more than in the same period last year.
