REUTERS
Ukrainian steelmakers boosted steel output by 8.5% in January 2017 against January 2016, to 2.103 million tonnes, having kept the tenth place in the international steelmakers rating drawn up by the World Steel Association (WSA).
China traditionally retained its top position in the ranking in January 2017 with 67.2 million tonnes of steel (a 7.4% increase year-over-year).
It was followed by Japan (9 million tonnes, 2.7% up), India (8.4 million tonnes, 12% up), the United States (6.9 million tonnes, 6.5% up), Russia (6.2 million tonnes, 11.6% up), South Korea (5.9 million tonnes, 3.2% up), Germany (3.6 million tonnes, 1.2% up), Turkey (2.9 million tonnes, 12.8% up) and Brazil (2.8 million tonnes, 14.4% up).
Read alsoUkraine ranks 10th in WSA's 2016 steelmakers rating (Infographics) In general, the 66 countries ranked by the WSA boosted steel production by 7% in January 2017 from January 2016, to 136.5 million tonnes.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine ranked tenth in the 2016 WSA rating, having increased its steel output by 5.5% in 2016 against 2015, to 24.2 million tonnes.
UNIAN memo. Ukraine ranked seventh in the WSA rating in 2013 in terms of steel output, having produced 30.4 million tonnes. In 2014, the country slid to the tenth place with a steel output of 27.2 million tonnes. Since 2014, two factors have affected domestic steelmakers' performance: hostilities in Donbas, where more than half of steel production facilities are located, and a decline in world prices of raw materials for metallurgy and finished products. They reduced steelmakers' revenue and toughened competition on world markets, which was most evident in 2015. However, Ukraine managed to keep its tenth position in the industry rating in 2015.