Russia is consuming more coking and decreasing exports to Ukraine. “The lack of high quality coking coal has always been a problem in Ukraine. But in recent years it has increased since Russia’s main coal producers have joined metallurgical holdings. Russian domestic consumption of the most valuable grades of coal has increased significantly. The acuteness of the deficit is being reduced by imports of coking coal from Kazakhstan, but it does not solve the problem,” said Vladimir Gusak, director of coal and coke division, Metinvest. The Ukrainian steel industry could import high-quality coking coal in the future from the United States. Currently the country lacks the port infrastructure to import coal. In the first quarter 2010, Ukraine imported 2.2 million mt of coking coal—up 39% year on year, and purchased 4.9 million mt of coking coal from domestic companies—up 10% year on year.

| More...