The temporary restriction on the export of scrap metal from Ukraine does not affect or threaten the supply of raw materials to Polish metallurgical enterprises. The only change is that Poland is no longer a hub for the re-export of scrap to Turkey. This is stated in the analytical study of the GMK — Center portal.
In recent years, Poland has become a key transit hub for Ukrainian scrap on its way to Turkey. At the same time, the share of Ukrainian raw materials in the total consumption of Polish metallurgists has never exceeded 5% during this time. The main needs for scrap metal are provided by domestic procurement and imports from neighboring Germany and the Czech Republic.
According to the gmk — Center, in 2024-2025, scrap harvesting in Poland amounted to 6.5–6.8 million tons, while consumption by local steel mills was 4.4–4.5 million tons. The largest market players — ArcelorMittal Poland, CMC Poland and Złomrex (Cognor Holding) — have their own networks of scrap collection points, which allows them to fully supply the country's steelmaking facilities without importing from Ukraine.
The reason why Polish traders had previously bought Ukrainian scrap was economic: due to the price difference between Polish steel mills and the Turkish market, there was a favorable margin for re-export. From 2022 to 2025, this led to record exports of Polish scrap — 2.95 million tons in 2025, mainly to Turkey.
In 2021-2025, Ukrainian scrap procurement fell by more than 2.5 times, while export shipments grew at a record pace. Kiev's decision to temporarily suspend exports will improve the provision of local metallurgical enterprises, increase tax revenues and maintain added value in the country.
This does not pose any problems for Polish steel mills: an excess of internal harvesting, a reduction in steel production and the possibility of importing scrap from Germany and the Czech Republic guarantee stable supplies.
Some Polish lobbyists have called on the European Commission to intervene, claiming potential losses for Polish industry. GMK — Center experts point out that these statements do not correspond to market reality and may be due to political motives or commercial interests of traders who previously earned money by re-exporting scrap to Turkey.
Thus, the temporary restriction of Ukrainian scrap exports changes Poland's status as a hub for scrap re-export, but does not create a shortage of resources for local metal processing plants. Polish metallurgy remains self—sufficient due to internal procurement and import opportunities from EU countries, GMK -Center analysts say.
