Production of pig iron in Ukraine increased by 5% year-on-year in 2018 to 20.56 million tonnes, the country’s steel union, Ukrmetallurgprom, said in its latest report. Crude steel output was up by 1% year-on-year, to 21.1 million tonnes, while rolled steel output increased by 3% year-on-year, to 18.36 million tonnes. Most of the rolled steel volumes were exported. In January-November 2018,

Ukrainian producers shipped 16.84 million tonnes of steel products to foreign customers. This figure was largely unchanged year-on-year, Ukrmetallurgprom said. Semi-finished steel product exports accounted for 43.68% of the total volume, or 7.36 million tonnes, up by 4% year-on-year. The annual average price for CIS export billet was $481.04 per tonne fob Black Sea in 2018, up by $45.64 per tonne against $435.40 per tonne in 2017, according to Fastmarkets’ price archive. The annual average price for CIS export slab was $510.37 per tonne fob Black Sea in 2018, up by $70.90 from $439.47.