Ban on scrap exports from Ukraine hits Polish steelmakers
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The decision of Ukraine to ban scrap exports from 2026 suddenly interrupted the supply chain for Polish steel companies. This was reported by Business Insider Poland with reference to Mirosław Motyka, President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"Polish producers will have to replace the lost volumes with purchases from other suppliers, which will affect raw material and logistics costs," he said.

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According to Eurostat, the volume of ferrous scrap exports from Ukraine to Poland in 2025 amounted to about 350,000 tons. This is 5% of the Polish scrap market, which reached a total volume of approximately 6.8 million tons.

At the same time, a significant portion of Polish scrap is also exported. The surplus of about 2 million tons per year is mainly supplied to Turkey and Germany.

Despite the fact that there is currently no shortage of scrap in Poland, it may arise in the future, warned Piotr Sikorski, president of the Polish Steel Distributors Union. According to him, competition for this raw material will increase amid the decarbonization of the steel industry.

"Ukrainian steel mills are announcing an increase in production capacity and investments in electric arc furnaces, so the desire to keep scrap in the country seems understandable. In addition, the CBAM mechanism introduced by the EU in January 2026 also contributed to a certain extent and accelerated this step by the Ukrainian government. At the same time, I see a one-sided approach here: on the one hand, it is increasing steel exports and asking the EU to suspend steel contingents and CBAM, while on the other hand, it is closing the country to scrap exports," he said.

Polish steelmakers are calling for diplomatic intervention and demanding a level playing field. They fear that Ukrainian producers will have access to cheaper scrap, which will make their products more competitive on the Polish market.

"Diplomatic intervention is needed in EU-Ukraine relations to mitigate the effects of the restrictions. There should be no preferential treatment of steel imports from Ukraine," Motyka said.

  • on December 31, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a list of goods subject to licensing for export and import. The decision provides for a zero export quota for waste and scrap of ferrous metals and copper.
  • According to the industry publication GMK Center, in the first 11 months of 2025, scrap exports increased by 45% to 380,000 tonnes worth almost $113 million, exceeding the total shipments in 2024 by more than 86,000 tonnes.
  • Poland was the main export destination for Ukrainian scrap, accounting for over 309,000 tons, or 68.5% of total exports.