Interfax-Ukraine reported the level of prices for steel products in Ukraine and Russia will not considerably change in the near future. They opined that slight rise in the prices of rolled steel in June could be followed by a fall in July while by the end of the year the prices could fall by USD 10 per tonne to USD 40 per tonne.

This forecast was made at the CIS Flat Products, Tube & Pipe Markets 2009 seventh annual conference held in Alushta on May 26th and May 27th and organized by Metal-Kurier and Business-Forum Company.

Ms Svitlana Deliamure head of the international steel market department at Metal-Kurier said "In June we expect a slight rise in the prices and in July a fall but no higher than in H1 2009."

She made the following forecasts for Ukraine

1. The prices of hot rolled steel in June would be USD 380 per tonne to USD 390 per tonne, in July USD 350 per tonne to USD 360 per tonne, while in May they were USD 350 per tonne to USD 370 per tonne.

2. The prices of cold rolled steel would be USD 430 per tonne to USD 440 per tonne in June, USD 400 per tonne to USD 410 per tonne in July and are USD 400 per tonne to USD 410 per tonne in May.

3. The prices of steel plates would be USD 460 per tonne to USD 470 per tonne in June, USD 450 per tonne to USD 460 per tonne in July and USD 450 per tonne to USD 460 per tonne in May.

She made the following forecasts for Russia

1. The prices of hot rolled steel would be USD 400 per tonne to USD 420 per tonne, USD 380 per tonne to USD 390 per tonne and USD 380 per tonne to USD 390 per tonne respectively,

2. The prices of cold rolled steel would be USD 430 per tonne to USD 440 per tonne, USD 400 per tonne to USD 410 per tonne and USD 400 per tonne to USD 410 per tonne respectively and

3. The prices of steel plates would be USD 420 per tonne to USD 430 per tonne, USD 410 per tonne to USD 420 per tonne and USD 410 per tonne to USD 420 per tonne respectively.

(Sourced from Interfax-Ukraine)