KIEV, Jan. 11 - Ukraine will seek to stimulate domestic demand for its steel, mostly in housing and infrastructure projects, as weaker external demand has been affecting many of its companies, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Wednesday.

The government provided massive tax breaks to steelmakers between late 2008 and through the end of 2009 after steel exports had collapsed late 2008 due to economic slowdown caused by international credit crunch.

The calls from Azarov to stimulate domestic demand now show the government has been seeking to provide support for steelmakers even before they begin to suffer significant losses due to falling exports.