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.