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Photo – Scrap collection in Ukraine decreased by 23.2% m/m in March shutterstock.com
Scrap metal

Domestic supplies of raw materials to steel plants for March 2023 increased by 23.6% m/m

In March 2023, the volume of scrap metal collection in Ukraine decreased by 23.2% compared to the previous month – to 70.4 thousand tons. Compared to March 2022, the indicator increased by 95%. It is stated in the data of Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet).

Export of scrap metal for March 2023 amounted to 15.5 thousand tons, which is 6.1% less compared to February 2023. The import of raw materials during this period amounted to 0.01 thousand tons (-75% m/m). In March 2022, scrap was not exported or imported.

Scrap supplies to Ukrainian steel enterprises in March 2023 increased by 23.6% compared to the previous month and by 105.9% by March 2022 – up to 87.5 thousand tons.

In January-March 2023, the collection of scrap metal decreased by 60% compared to the same period in 2022 – to 222.6 thousand tons. The export of raw materials during this period amounted to 40.3 thousand tons, which is 5.7 times more y/y, and import – 0.05 thousand tons (-50% y/y).

Scrap supplies to Ukrainian steel plants for January-March 2023 decreased by 60.9% y/y – to 207.7 thousand tons.

Technological stocks of scrap at industrial enterprises are estimated at 10-15 thousand tons as of April 1, 2023. Estimated technological needs of steelmakers in scrap are fully provided, with a slight excess.

UAVtormet predicts that scrap collection in Ukraine in 2023 will amount to 880-900 thousand tons. Domestic supplies of raw materials to steel plants will be at the level of 820-850 thousand tons.

“During the first quarter of 2023, the volume of scrap metal collection in Ukraine continued to decrease – about 222.6 thousand tons of scrap metal were collected. Such a trend is due to crisis phenomena in the Ukrainian collection industry and the surplus of material on the market,” the report says.

Photo – Scrap collection in Ukraine decreased by 23.2% m/m in March

The balance of the Ukrainian scrap metal market in 2023

As GMK Center reported earlier, in 2022 volumes of scrap metal collection in Ukraine decreased by 75.9% compared to 2021 – to 996.7 thousand tons. The export of raw materials for the year decreased by 11.4 times y/y – to 53.6 thousand tons, import – by 92.1% y/y, to 1.8 thousand tons. Domestic supplies of raw materials to domestic steel mills decreased by 73% – to 895.7 thousand tons.