Poland is talking about canceling trade preferences for the Ukrainian steel industry
3 January 06:17
“We support tough protective measures: pressure on the EU, the abolition of trade benefits for the Ukrainian steel industry and real anti-dumping mechanisms,” Polish Sejm deputy from the Confederation party Michal Poluboczek wrote on his page on social network X .
The deputy noted that the reason for this position is that under pressure from oligarchs and steel monopolies, Ukraine is imposing a ban on the export of ferrous scrap, which is harmful to the Polish and European steel industry.
“The result is simple: our steel mills are losing raw materials, jobs are at risk, and Ukrainian conglomerates are planning to supply steel to the EU at prices 20-25% below market prices. This is not free trade, this is economic aggression,” the Polish MP said.
In his opinion, if Ukraine wants to benefit from access to the EU markets, it must play by the same rules – without exceptions or privileges.
“This is not anti-Ukrainian sentiment. This is a basic state policy. Cooperation – yes. Exploitation of Poland – no,” summarized Michał Poluboczek.
As a reminder, the Draft Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Approval of the Lists of Goods Subject to Licensing and Quotas for 2026” proposes to set the quota for the next year for ferrous scrap at zero, which means a complete ban on the export of ferrous scrap.
According to the Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet), scrap consumption has already dropped by 3 times since the start of the full-scale invasion. This is primarily a result of the loss of metallurgical giants Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol and Azovstal, which fell from 3323.4 thousand tons in 2021 to 1300 thousand tons in 2025.
According to UAVtormet experts, steel mills are currently able to process only 60-80% of all available scrap, and this is without taking into account military (conversion) scrap, the confirmed volume of which has already exceeded 1.4 million tons.
Experts emphasize that the situation with the accumulation of scrap is getting worse, as its monthly volume is growing by an average of 5-10%, which is about 12 thousand tons.
At the same time, the export ban that some steel companies are trying to lobby for is contrary to the interests of the state and its partners, as a complete export ban violates Ukraine’s international obligations under the WTO and the EU Association Agreement.
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