Ukraine-based steelmaker Metinvest has called on the European Union to exempt Ukrainian steel from import restrictions, warning that reduced access to its principal export market could threaten the industry's survival amid intensifying Russian attacks, according to a BBC report.
Metinvest CEO Yuriy Ryzhenkov said Ukraine had been included in measures targeting low-priced imports from countries such as China and Turkey without sufficient consideration of its wartime circumstances, urging the bloc to introduce at least a carve-out for Ukrainian products.
Lower import quotas threaten essential market access
The EU measures cap annual duty-free steel imports at 18.3 million mt, down 47 percent from 2024 levels, as the bloc seeks to protect domestic producers from import competition. Although Ukraine has a free trade agreement with the EU, the agreement does not prevent the introduction of separate trade protection measures.
Ukraine's steel industry estimates that exports to the EU could ultimately decline by 50-60 percent. Ryzhenkov stressed that logistical constraints severely limit access to alternative destinations, making the European market essential to maintaining production and supporting the sector's survival.
Russian attacks add pressure on steel production
Ryzhenkov said Russian strikes on Ukrainian steelworks had intensified significantly, adding that production across the country briefly stopped entirely in September, marking the first such interruption in approximately 150 years.
Warning that the coming winter could be among the most difficult in Ukraine's history, he emphasized the additional burden of tighter EU market access on an industry already facing extensive disruption. Before the invasion, mining and metallurgy accounted for approximately 10 percent of Ukraine's national income and one-third of its exports.
