Despite facing challenges from the ongoing Russian invasion and port blockades, Ukrainian exports of semi-finished products decreased in February compared to the previous month. In January, export volumes had reached their peak since February 2022. During February, the country exported 141,960 tonnes of semis, marking a 36% decrease from the previous month but still doubling compared to the same period last year. Although revenue from these shipments decreased by 34% compared to the previous month, it was significantly higher by 92.4% on a yearly basis, reaching nearly $70 million based on customs data.
In the first two months of the year, exports of semis surged by 3.4 times compared to the previous year, totaling 364,160 tonnes. Export revenue also tripled, amounting to $175.1 million. Bulgaria emerged as the largest consumer of Ukraine's semis in January-February, followed by Poland and the Dominican Republic.
Pig iron exports from Ukraine decreased in February by 10.2% compared to the previous month and were also lower by 28% on a yearly basis. Export revenue experienced a 4.2% decline from January and a 26.3% decrease compared to the previous year, totaling $47.9 million. In the first two months of the year, Ukraine reduced pig iron exports by 13.6% compared to the previous year, with the USA being the primary destination, followed by Italy and Poland.
Iron ore exports from Ukraine decreased by 18.2% in February compared to the previous month but doubled on a yearly basis, reaching 2.55 million tons. Revenue from iron ore exports dropped by 13.2% compared to the previous month but doubled on a yearly basis, amounting to $256.8 million. Over the two-month period, iron ore exports totaled 5.66 million tons, marking a 2.6-fold increase compared to the previous year. Most of the shipments were directed to China, followed by Slovakia and Poland.
Additionally, Ukrainian ferroalloy exports notably increased in February, although significantly lower than the previous year. The country's crude steel production decreased in February compared to January but showed a substantial increase compared to the previous year. Pig iron output also experienced fluctuations, decreasing on a monthly basis but showing a significant rise compared to the previous year.