DNIPROPETROVSK, Dec. 11 - Ukrainian coke-chemical companies increased imports of coking coal by 2.5% year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2008, to 9.5 million tons, the general director of steel industry association Metallurgprom, Vasyl Kharakhulakh said Wednesday at a mining and metals industry conference.

Coal imports in November fell 140,000 tons from the previous month, to about 400,000 tons, he said.

Coke-chemical plants also received about 17.4 million tons of domestic coking coal in the eleven months, 1.2% less than in the same period last year.