Ukrainian enterprises operating in the ferrous scrap market have demanded that the current zero quota for the export of raw materials be lifted and regulated shipments to EU countries be allowed. According to them, the industry has found itself in a difficult situation due to restrictions on the export of scrap.
""Representatives of companies and relevant associations told about this at the press conference "Scrap market of Ukraine: between the needs of the economy and regulatory uncertainty", which was held on September 16 at the agency "Interfax-Ukraine".
Vladimir Bubley, President of the Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals "Uauthormet", said that the zero export quota introduced since the beginning of 2026 had a negative impact on scrap harvesting and the work of industry enterprises. According to him, if the restrictions remain in place, the volume of raw materials collection may decrease significantly by the end of the year.
Sergey Vovk, CEO of "Ukrmetinvest" LLC, said that the company has already reduced 180 employees, and only four of the 18 production sites are currently operating. According to him, more than 14 thousand tons of scrap have accumulated in the warehouses, which the company cannot sell.
Nikolay Klimovich, Director of Development at "Mirten" LLC, noted that in the first eight months of 2026, the volume of scrap harvesting, according to market participants, decreased by about 400 thousand tons. The loss of tax revenues in the industry is estimated at more than UAH 1 billion.
Vladislav Kleschinsky, CEO of "UKRMET" Group, said about the drop in domestic demand from metallurgical enterprises and the need to allow regulated exports of scrap to the EU. Earlier, industry representatives proposed setting the export quota at about 200 thousand tons per year.
According to "Uauthormet", in January—August 2026, about 4.3 million tons of steel were produced in Ukraine, while for the whole of 2025 this figure was 7.409 million tons. The supply of scrap metal to metallurgical enterprises for eight months amounted to 925.4 thousand tons, the total volume of procurement was 971.7 thousand tons.
The Association predicts that by the end of 2026, steel production will amount to about 6.4–6.5 million tons, scrap supplies to metallurgical enterprises — 1.2–1.25 million tons, and the total volume of procurement — 1.22–1.25 million tons.
Exports of Ukrainian ferrous scrap in January—August 2026 decreased by 95.1% compared to the same period last year and amounted to 13,856 thousand tons against 283,055 thousand tons. In monetary terms, shipments decreased by 95.4% to $3.93 million.
In 2025, on the contrary, scrap exports increased by 45.3% and reached 448,685 thousand tons, while foreign exchange earnings increased by 44.5% to $131.927 million. The sharp increase in the export of raw materials was one of the reasons why the Ministry of Economy introduced licensing and a zero export quota for 2026.
In April, the government partially relaxed the restrictions.,
