Scrap exports from Ukraine reached a 4-year high in 2025
By the end of 2025, Ukrainian scrap metal exporters increased the export of strategic raw materials by 53% compared to 2024, to 448.68 thousand tons. This figure is a 4–year peak, that is, the maximum since 2021. This is evidenced by GMK Center calculations based on data from the State Customs Service.
Poland remains the main export destination. In 12 months, 343.6 thousand tons of raw materials were sent to the Polish market, which is 76.6% of total exports and 38.2% more than in 2024. Another 48.44 thousand tons of scrap were sent to Greece (+41.7% YoY), 16.63 thousand tons to Bulgaria (+419% YoY) and 5.29 thousand tons to Germany (-18.9% YoY).
As previously noted in the OP "Ukrmetallurgprom, the supply of raw materials to the EU countries de facto became a scheme by which scrap exporters avoided paying export duties in favor of the Ukrainian state in the amount of 180 euros/ton, since Ukrainian raw materials were re-exported through EU countries to Turkey and India.
At the end of 2025, the Government of Ukraine decided to temporarily restrict the export of scrap metal until the end of 2026. According to Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, scrap is a critically important raw material for the Ukrainian metallurgy and foundry industries.
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During December, Ukrainian scrap harvesting companies sent 68.52 thousand tons of raw materials abroad, which is 117% more per year and 96% more per month. This is the highest figure since 2021.
Revenue from scrap exports in December increased by 96.8% compared to the previous month and by 106.9% YoY to $19.14 million. In 2025, the figure increased by 44.5% YoY to $131.93 million.
In the fourth quarter, scrap exports increased by 50.8% yoy and 26.3% sq.m., to 136.84 thousand tons, while export revenue increased by 44.2% yoy and 22.8% sq.m., to $38.36 million.
Recall that in 2024, scrap exports from Ukraine increased by 60% compared to 2023, to 293.2 thousand tons. In 2023, the volume of shipments of raw materials abroad exceeded 182.5 thousand tons, which is 3.4 times more than rubles/year, while in 2022 the figure was at the level of 54.1 thousand tons. The main consumers Last year, Poland (248.6 thousand tons), Greece (34.2 thousand tons) and Germany (6.5 thousand tons) were the raw materials.