Ukraine maintains steel production growth in the first two months of 2025, despite the loss of the industry's key coking coal mine in Pokrovsk in the east of the country, data from the Ukrmetallurgprom steel producers association showed on Saturday.
In two months of 2025, Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises produced 1.18 million tons of steel, which is 9.9% more than in the same period last year. In January-February, according to Ukrmetallurgprom, pig iron production also showed an increase of 8.4% year–on-year to 1.14 million tons. The production of finished metal products has increased by 6.3% since the beginning of the year compared to the result for two months in 2024 and amounted to 960 thousand tons.
In February, compared to January, there was a noticeable slowdown in production dynamics: steel production decreased by 6.4% compared to the previous month, cast iron production by 8.5%, and rolled products by 0.7%.
Ukraine, formerly a major producer and exporter of steel, reported a drop in production by 70.7% in 2022 to 6.3 million tons. In 2023, steel exports decreased to 6 million tons, but increased to 7.58 million tons in 2024.
The steelworkers' union said in October that the potential closure of the Pokrovsky mine could lead to a reduction in steel production to 2-3 million tons in 2025. Producers said they hoped to find coking coal, an ingredient for steel production, in other regions of Ukraine if the mine was seized by Russian troops, but imports would be needed, leading to higher costs.
