Nikopol Ferroalloy Increases Output By ~2% yoy in 8M06.

The company (NFER: Susp), Ukraine’s biggest producer of manganese-based alloys, increased output by 1.9% yoy to 552.7 ths mt. Eugene Cherviachenko: NFER’s output increase is explained by the rebound of domestic and world steel markets and by the recent cooperation between its two main shareholders, the Privat  group (>25%) and Interpipe ( >70% stake). After years of battling the two groups have agreed to jointly manage the company, which now is supplied by Privat’s domestic manganese mines (previously NFER had to import manganese).