KIEV, Dec. 20 - The Khartsyzsk Pipe Mill, a major Ukrainian steel pipe producer owned by Rinat Akhmetov, the wealthiest Ukrainian, expects to increase exports of large-diameter pipes to Russia despite import duties.

The chief executive of parent company Metinvest Holding, Igor Syryi said in an interview published by Kommersant-Ukraina on Tuesday that the Khartsyzsk plant intends to export 700,000 tons of large-diameter pipes to Russia next year. He did not specify the figure for this year.