Companies@UA: База компаний Украины

Kyiv, August 4 (Interfax) - Most of Ukraine's steel majors again reduced finished roll production considerably in January-July 2009, although the decline in the industry seems to be slowing slightly.

ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih (formerly Kryvorizhstal), the country's biggest steel mill, reduced finished roll production tentatively 35.5% year-on-year to 2.56 million tonnes, the company told Interfax.

Azovstal said it reduced roll output 37.2% year-on-year to 2.11 million tonnes, Zaporizhstal reduced it 26.5% to 1.584 million tonnes and the Illich works from Mariupol slashed output 47.3% to 1.64 million tonnes.

The Alchevsk Iron & Steel Works, a member of the Industrial Union of Donbas (IUD) group, cut roll output 35.2% year-on-year to 1.841 million tonnes, and IUD's Dzerzhinsky Metallurgical Combine (DMK) produced 1.945 million tonnes, just 0.5% less than a year previously.

However these results are marginally better than for the first half of 2009, when ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih cut finished roll production 38.7% year-on-year to 2.114 million tonnes, Azovstal reduced it 39% year-on-year to 1.759 million tonnes, Zaporizhstal reduced it 27.1% to 1.341 million tonnes and the Illich works slashed output 50.4% to 1.338 million tonnes. The Alchevsk plant cut roll output 32% year-on-year to 1.637 million tonnes in the half, and DMK produced 1.662 million tonnes, as much as a year previously.

Ukraine's steel industry as a whole reduced finished roll output 34% year-on-year in January-July to 14.579 million tonnes, the Industrial Policy Ministry told Interfax on August 3. Crude steel production plummeted 37% to 16.277 million tonnes and pig iron fell 34% to 14.332 million tonnes.

The industry reduced finished roll output by the same 34% year-on-year in the half, to 12.354 million tonnes. Crude steel production plummeted 39% to 13.615 million tonnes and pig iron fell 35% to 11.976 million tonnes.

Steel industry output in Ukraine started to plummet in August last year due to a drop in demand, particularly in October-December. Some steel mills stopped some of their capacity. However some signs of improvement were seen in May.