KIEV, May 16 - Ukraine's steel industry could increase roll production 6% this year compared with 2006 to 36.33 million tonnes, Serhiy Hryschenko, vice-president of Ukrmet, the Ukrainian steel industry association, told Interfax.

Hryschenko said crude steel production was forecast to grow 6% to 43.25 million tonnes and pig iron - 9% to 35.79 million tonnes.

Steel pipe production is expected to rise 7% to 2.81 million tonnes, coke - 5% to 20.02 million tonnes and hardware - 7% to 463,000 tonnes.