Ukrainian export /import of metallurgical products and metal products in 2017-2018

In December last year, 1.459 million tons of metallurgical products were exported, which is 10.5% more than in November (the minimum value in 2018). Export receipts in December amounted to USD 753.4 million. Exports of raw materials for metallurgy (goods from 72 groups) in December amounted to 264.1 thousand tons (one of the lowest indicators during the last year), which is one third less than in November, exports of semi-finished products - 535.1 thousand tons (plus 25 , 6% versus November), rolled products export - 660 thousand tons (plus 32.3% versus November). The December increase in the export of rolled products was due to an increase in the export of flat products by 40.4% compared to November to 414 thousand tons and long products - by 28.3% to 227.5 thousand tons.

If we consider 2018 (the reporting year) as a whole, then the first half of the year for Ukrainian exporters was more successful than the second. So in the first half of the year, the volume of exports of metallurgical products amounted to at least 1.6 million tons per month, then in the second - no more than 1.5 million tons per month.

Analyzing the increase in the volume of exports of metallurgical products in 2018 by 1.8% compared to 2017 to 18.548 million tons, we emphasize that this increase is largely due to an increase in the export of pig iron - products with a lower added value than finished rolled products or semi-finished products. In the reporting year, the export of pig iron increased by 28.4% compared to 2017 to 3.007 million tons, and export receipts amounted to 1.053 billion USD, which is 42.6% more compared to 2017. The main markets for Ukrainian pig iron are the USA, Italy and Turkey. In December, 175 thousand tons of pig iron were exported in the amount of USD 59.9 million, which is one of the worst indicators in 2018, both in terms of export volumes and foreign exchange earnings.

Pig iron is the only raw material whose export volumes increased in the reporting year. In particular, the export of ferroalloys in 2018 showed a decrease by 3.5% to 904.3 thousand tons compared to 2017, and the export of scrap metal decreased by one third (minus 32.7%) to 327.6 thousand tons. Proceeds from the export of ferroalloys in 2018 amounted to USD 977.9 million (minus 12.3% compared to 2017), from the export of scrap metal - USD 105.7 million, which is 12.9% less than in 2017. In September-December, the export volumes of scrap metal amounted to 3.86-8.27 thousand tons per month, for comparison, in April (before the introduction of the export duty on scrap metal in the amount of 42 EUR /t) 76.33 thousand tons of scrap metal were exported in the amount of USD 24.87 million. If the decrease in the export of scrap metal was caused by the introduction of an increased export duty, then the decrease in the export of ferroalloys is primarily due to a decrease in supplies to Turkey, which is the largest consumer of Ukrainian ferroalloys. Increased exports of ferroalloys to other countries of the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Bahrai�