Speaking at a press conference organized by the Interfax-Ukraine agency, Vladimir Bubley, president of the Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet), said that steel production in Ukraine decreased by six percent between January and May, and domestic scrap consumption fell by 7.6 percent to 604,000 tons. He stated that export restrictions had led to lower domestic scrap prices, resulting in a loss of about 60 million euros in foreign exchange earnings and lower tax revenues.
According to Bubley, scrap is currently being sold on the domestic market at a price of about 160-165 dollars per ton, compared with about 360 dollars per ton offered by EU buyers. He called on the government to review the balance of supply and demand of scrap in the country and opposed plans to increase VAT on scrap transactions.
Industry representatives also highlighted the operational impact of export restrictions. Ukrmet-Invest said it had laid off 150 employees and significantly reduced procurement volumes, while UKRMET said it had closed two terminals, a port and 10 reception points since the measures were introduced. Both companies supported the introduction of an annual export quota of 200,000 tons for shipments to the EU.
Ukraine has introduced a zero export quota for ferrous scrap since January 1, 2026, after the Ministry of Economy took measures to restrict exports following a sharp increase in foreign supplies. In 2025, the country's scrap metal exports increased by 45.3 percent year-on-year to 448,685 tons, which amounted to $131.9 million, with Poland, Greece and Italy remaining the main destinations.
