KIEV, Nov. 12 – Ukrainian metal companies in October started importing blast-furnace coke from China as domestic coal supply languishes due to the stoppage of some eastern coalmines and by-product coke plants.

"Along with traditional supplies from Russia and Poland, in October 2014 a ship with Chinese blast-furnace coke entered a Ukrainian port and the prices of coke were better than offers from neighbor countries," the head of the fuel and energy market department at state enterprise Derzhzovnishinform Oleh Melnyk said.