NONFERROUS METALS


NONFERROUS METALS

NONFERROUS METALS

UKRAINE

Foreign trade

As statistical figures for 2001 indicate, non-ferrous
exports from Ukraine totaled 33,800 tonnes for the sum of USD 47.7 million in revenues.
The quantitative figure went nearly 19% down against the one reported in January 2000,
whereas revenues added 9%.

The share of copper and aluminum products, which are the
main components of Ukrainian non-ferrous exports, accounted collectively for 82.14% of the
aggregate quantitative figure reported in January 2001 and for 84.04% of this month’s
hard-currency revenues from non-ferrous exports.

Exports of copper and aluminum commodity groups decreased
in January 2001 against the previous year’s corresponding figures in terms of both
quantity (30.5% down) and revenues (0.5% down).

In January 2001, exports of nickel, lead, zinc, and tin
came to the aggregate 620 tonnes worth USD 350,600, or 1.83% and 0.73% of the total
non-ferrous physical exports and revenues respectively. For comparison, the corresponding
figures registered in January 2000 were 202 tonnes worth USD 242,000.

Export figures for other groups of non-ferrous metals,
metal ceramics, and their products came to the total 4,517 tonnes for the sum of USD 3.7
million in the report month, whereas in January 2000, Ukraine exported 658 tonnes of the
indicated commodities with the aggregate revenues of USD 2.02 million. The corresponding
increments of the two indicators against the last year’s figures are 586% and 84.34%
respectively. This commodity group accounts for 13.37% of physical non-ferrous exports and
7.79% of the total non-ferrous revenues.

Table1. Export dynamics of non-ferrous metals and
their products in January 2000-2001

CN code Commodity 2000 2001 % change (physical quantity) 2001/2000 % change (revenues) 2001/2000
Quantity (tonnes) Revenues (‘000 USD) Quantity (tonnes) Revenues (‘000 USD)
74 Copper and copper products 9,508 9,266 8,235 13,871 87 150
75 Nickel and nickel products 1 157 1 107 85 68
76 Aluminum and aluminum products 30,504 31,031 19,518 26,219 64 84
78 Lead and lead products 159 61 602 227 378 371
79 Zinc and zinc products 41 24 16 17 39 69
80 Tin and tin products 0 0 0 0    
81 Other non-precious metals 658 2,017 4,517 3,718 686 184
82 Tools, cutlery and spoons 130 542 364 2,797 281 516
83 Other items made of non-precious metals 659 722 531 746 81 103
TOTAL 41,660 43,820 33,784 47,701 81 109

Copper group

In the first month of 2001, Ukraine exported 8,200 tonnes
of copper commodities worth USD 13.9 million. As compared with January 2000, the physical
exports of this group curtailed by 13.4%, whereas export revenues added 49.7%.

Just as before, the main articles of Ukrainian copper
exports are unrefined copper ingots, refined copper and copper-based alloys, and scrap of
copper and copper-based alloys.

Export of unrefined copper in January 2001 totaled 2,400
tonnes bringing in revenues of USD 3.8 million.

Export supplies of refined copper and copper-based alloys
reached 5,300 tonnes in the report period for the sum of USD 9.2 million. The indicated
commodities collectively accounted for 93.19% (quantity) and 93.52% (revenues) of the
total copper exports from Ukraine. This subgroup’s increments of physical exports and
export revenues in January 2001 came to 151.3% and 262.91% respectively, as compared with
the figures registered in the last year’s corresponding month.

Table 2. The main articles of Ukrainian exports of
copper and its products in January 2000-2001

Commodity 2000 2001 % change (physical quantity) 2001/2000 % change (revenues) 2001/2000
Quantity (tonnes) Revenues (’000 USD) Quantity (tonnes) Revenues (’000 USD)
Unrefined copper and copper anodes for electrolytic
refining
1,333 1,289 2,369 3,764 178 292
Refined copper and unrefined copper-based alloys 3,739 3,645 5,305 9,208 142 253
Copper and copper products (the whole copper group,
including waste and scrap)
9,508 9,266 8,235 13,871 87 150

Table 3. Main importers of Ukrainian copper and its
products in January 2001

Rank Country Share in total exports (%) Share in total export shipments of
copper-group products (%)
1 Germany 59.9 56.2
2 Switzerland 10.6 12.1
3 USA 7.3 8.2
4 France 5.9 6.1
5 Russia 4.3 4.8
6 Hong Kong 3.2 3.1
7 Korea 2.6 2.7
8 Italy 1.9 2.2
9 Poland 1.6 1.5
10 Slovakia 1.3 1.5
  Other countries, collectively 1.4 1.6
  TOTAL 100 100

Aluminum group

In January 2001, Ukraine exported 19,500 tonnes of aluminum
commodities for the sum of USD 26.2 million. In comparison with those reported in the
corresponding period of 2000, these figures are 36% and 15.5% lower respectively.

This group accounted for 57.77% of physical non-ferrous
exports and for 54.96% of the total revenues in the report month.

The main exported articles within this commodity group were
primary aluminum and ingots of aluminum-based alloys, which collectively accounted for
95.8% of the total aluminum exports in January coming to 18,700 tonnes worth USD 23.6
million.

Table 4. The main articles of Ukrainian export of
aluminum and its products in January 2000-2001.

Commodity 2000 2001 % change (physical quantity) 2001/2000 % change (revenues) 2001/2000
Quantity (tonnes) Revenues (’000 USD) Quantity (tonnes) Revenues (’000 USD)
Unrefined aluminum and unrefined aluminum-based
alloys
24,896 25,870 18,704 23,612 75 91
Aluminum and aluminum products (the whole aluminum
group, including scrap and waste)
30,504 31,031 19,518 26,219 64 84

Table 5. Geographical structure of Ukrainian export
of aluminum and its products in January 2001

Rank Country Share in total exports (%) Share in total export shipments of
aluminum-group products (%)
1 Hungary 26.6 22.4
2 Italy 17.5 22.9
3 Slovakia 9.6 9.2
4 Japan 8.7 10.1
5 Cyprus 5.4 6.1
6 USA 5.3 5.9
7 Russia 5.2 3.6
8 Germany 5 3.8
9 Latvia 3.9 2.1
10 Great Britain 2.2 2.5
  Other countries 10.6 11.4
  TOTAL 100 100

Overview of export supplies

In January 2001, the following commodities accounted for
the largest export supplies:

- unrefined aluminum and aluminum-based alloys –
18,700 tonnes (55.35%) worth USD 23.6 million (49.47%);

- refined copper and copper-based alloys – 5,300
tonnes (15.68%) worth USD 9.2 million (19.28%);

- unrefined copper – 2,400 tonnes (7.1%) worth USD
3.8 million (7.96%).

Conclusions

The first month of the new millenium was notable with the
fact that nearly all main articles of Ukrainian non-ferrous exports (excluding lead and
the group of other non-precious metals) exhibited a tendency towards a decline of export
figures in terms of both quantity and revenues. There is no doubt that modified regulatory
policy as regards non-ferrous exports from Ukraine could not but contribute to this
process.

Introduction of new, more strict requirements to operators
of the non-ferrous scrap market, including the complete ban on non-ferrous scrap exports
and a regulation, pursuant to which only ISO9001-certified non-ferrous ingots can be
shipped abroad, was the main reason why the present situation has come about. It should
also be pointed out that in addition to strict export regulations, raw resources have
recently become considerably depleted in comparison with “good old times”.

Taking into account the aforementioned factors, no wonder
that the general situation with Ukrainian non-ferrous exports changed for the worse in
January 2001.

Vyacheslav POPOV, expert with Derzhzovnishinform

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