In 2025, Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises are counting on increasing their own raw material base. Despite a slight decline in overall steel production, pig iron production showed a significant increase of 11.2% for the year. At the end of the period, pig iron production reached 7.884 million tons versus 7.090 million tons in 2024.
For the second year in a row, pig iron production is growing at a much higher rate than other indicators. In December 2025, the enterprises smelted 696.2 thousand tons of pig iron. Sustained growth in the production of primary raw materials is a key factor in the long-term stability of the industry and indicates investment in the restoration of blast furnace production.
In general, since 2023, pig iron production in Ukraine has increased by 31.4%. This allows metallurgists to increase their independence from imported billets and creates the basis for future expansion of production of finished steel and rolled products. However, the industry still has a long way to go to return to pre-war capacity, when more than 21 million tons of pig iron were smelted in 2021.
