KIEV: Ukraine, a major global steel producer and exporter, reduced steel exports by around 20 percent in the first seven months of this year to 8.5 million tonnes, local news agency Uaprom said on Wednesday.
It said steel imports rose by 17 percent to 685,000 tonnes. It gave no reasons for the changes.
Ukrainian steel production fell by 18 percent to 11.9 million tonnes in January-July 2017, according to government figures. In 2016, steel production rose 5.5 percent to 24.2 million tonnes.
Ukrainian steel exports were almost unchanged in 2016 at 21.4 million tonnes, Uaprom said.
