Ukraine significantly cuts steel sales on foreign markets, says Ukrpromzovnishekspertyza

Kyiv, December 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises suffered significant losses in steel exports, where sales fell by 4.5 million tonnes compared to the pre-crisis period, Volodymyr Vlasiuk, the director of state-owned company Ukrpromzovnishekspertyza, has said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, the global economic crisis caused decrease in demand for key goods imported from Ukraine.

At the same time, he noted that currently Ukraine has resumed supply volumes to the markets of the European Union countries, the Middle East, and Asia.

"However, the weakening of the position on traditional regional markets, including Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, could draw out in the future due to the active development of own metallurgical sectors in the regions. Thus, in 2006-2010 Turkey launched the production of additional 12 million tonnes of goods, the Middle East and Africa 12.8 million tonnes," said Vlasiuk.