Scrap is running out in Ukraine: metallurgists demand not to feed Russia's friends

Ukrainian metallurgists are promoting a complete ban on scrap exports. They motivate this by the fact that he goes to Russia-friendly Turkey and India, which are competitors of Ukraine. And the use of Ukrainian scrap allows companies from these countries to make their metallurgical products even more competitive, while Ukrainian manufacturers themselves are sorely lacking scrap and the cost of production is growing.

"The problem of scrap exports from Ukraine has long been a threat to the economic security of our country. In addition, this is a factor that threatens the work of mining and metallurgical enterprises, as it worsens the shortage of scrap inside Ukraine. Metallurgists at the beginning of this year appealed to the government with a request to limit the outflow of strategic raw materials outside the country in one way or another," Alexander Kalenkov, president of Ukrmetallurgprom, told GMK Center.

According to him, by the end of 2024, Ukrainian scrap metal exports showed a 60 percent increase.

"In absolute terms, about 300 thousand tons of raw materials were exported, which could be processed domestically into 1.5 million tons of metal products. In turn, this volume of finished rolled products could be exported and receive an additional UAH 2 billion," explained the chief metallurgist of Ukraine.

In 2025, the situation has only worsened, Alexander Kalenkov noted, since in 9 months: scrap exports have already exceeded those for the whole of 2024 — 312 thousand tons. The increase was +54%.

Despite the fact that Ukraine has imposed export duties on scrap shipments to Turkey and India, deliveries continue.

"It has long been no secret that Ukrainian scrap metal is delivered to the western border, and then to European ports, in particular Gdansk, Klaipeda or Varna, from where raw materials are sent mainly to Turkey and India. That is, to those countries that directly or indirectly purchase energy resources from Russia," said the president of Ukrmetallurgprom.

He noted that Ukraine and the European Union feed their competitors in the metallurgical industry with their own hands.

According to estimates of OP "Ukrmetallurgprom", there is a shortage of scrap in the country's market, which amounted to 180 thousand tons in 9 months.

"Domestic enterprises produce less than possible due to the shortage of raw materials, replacing it with cast iron, which increases the cost of production," added Alexander Kalenkov.