KIEV, Sept. 3 - Ukraine produced a preliminary 14.697 million tons of metallurgical coke with 6%-moisture content in January-August 2008, up 9.1% year-on-year, Anatoliy Starovoit, director of the Dnipropetrovsk-based coke producers' association Ukrkoks, told Interfax.

August coke production came to 1.731 million tons.

But Starovoit said demand for coking coal had eased due to a downturn in the markets and reduction in iron and steel smelting.