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.

Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW), the largest producer of coking coal in Europe, has officially launched the ambitious METH2GEN project aimed at combating coal mine methane and using it to produce cheap hydrogen. The total budget of the initiative is €25.6 million, of which more than €20 million is funded by the company itself. The project has received support from the European Union, JSW said in a press release.

METH2GEN has two key areas. The first is the introduction of the latest technology for degassing geological formations using directional drilling. This will make it possible to achieve up to 70% efficiency of methane capture at mining sites, in particular at the Budryk mine. This approach will not only improve occupational safety, but also reduce costs and emissions of methane into the atmosphere.

The second component of the project is the construction of a plant for the production of hydrogen from excess methane using SMR (Steam Methane Reforming) technology. In the process, methane is converted into hydrogen, and by-product CO2 is captured and used in fire prevention.

JSW has already started purchasing specialized drilling equipment and is conducting geological surveys to select the location of the future hydrogen installation. The produced hydrogen should become significantly cheaper than electrolysis, which is especially important against the background of global decarbonization.

METH2GEN is one of four major JSW projects funded with EU support. The total budget of these initiatives exceeds €63.8 million. The company estimates that methane is responsible for 73% of its carbon footprint, so reducing its emissions is a key priority within JSW's environmental strategy.

According to the results of May 2025, metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine exported 162.36 thousand tons of commercial pig iron, which is 35.1% more than in the previous year. Compared to May 2024, exports increased by 82.1%. This is evidenced by the calculations of the GMK Center on the database of the State Customs Service.

In May, 105.56 thousand tons of pig iron were sent to the USA (-8.6% M/M; +37% YoY), Poland – 2.48 thousand tons (-27% M/M; -61.3% yoy), Italy – 10 thousand tons.

In January-May 2025, exports increased by 45.2% compared to the same period in 2024, to 736.42 thousand tons. The United States accounted for 581.58 thousand tons (+44.8% YoY). supplies to Italy – 75.55 thousand tons (+138.2% YoY), Poland – 17 thousand tons (-35.6% YoY).

Revenue from pig iron exports in May amounted to $64.26 million, compared with $46.9 million in April, and $34.56 million in May 2024.

First Copper Technology Co., Ltd., a Taiwanese copper producer, announced during its annual meeting on June 26 that it was expanding its presence in the Indian market in order to diversify exports outside of Southeast Asia, Yieh reported.

The company develops materials with high strength, resistance to softening and low internal stress for the needs of the high-tech semiconductor industry. The company is also increasing the production of copper materials with high conductivity and heat transfer for server cooling.

First Copper believes that decarbonization measures such as the development of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources are key drivers of copper demand growth.

The company predicts that global copper demand will grow from 15 million tons in 2000 to 30 million tons in 2025, 40 million tons in 2030 and 50 million tons in 2035. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also expects copper demand to double by 2035.

Today, 66.5% of First Copper's sales come from the domestic market, and 33.5% from the international market.

In April 2025, industrial production in the European Union (EU), seasonally adjusted, decreased by 1.8% compared to the previous month. In the euro area, this indicator decreased by 2.4% m/m. This is evidenced by the preliminary data from Eurostat.

Compared to April 2024, industrial production in the euro area increased by 0.8%, and in the EU by 0.6%.

The largest monthly decrease was recorded in Ireland (-15.2%), Malta (-6.2%) and Lithuania (-3.0%). The largest increases were observed in Denmark (+3.5%), Luxembourg (+3.2%), Croatia and Sweden (+2.5% in both countries).

On an annualized basis, industrial production in April 2025 grew the most in Ireland (+18.4%), Finland (+10.2%) and Croatia (+6.5%). The largest declines were recorded in Denmark (-11.6%), Bulgaria (-10.5%) and Slovenia (-4.6%).

Electricity production in the euro area decreased by 1.6% m/M and 0.1% y/y in April. In the EU, electricity output in the specified period decreased by 0.4% m/M and 0.6% y/y.

According to updated data, in March, industrial production in the euro area increased by 2.4% m/m and 3.7% yoy, and in the European Union – by 1.9% m/M and 2.8% yoy.

The U.

S. Department of Energy (DOE) has added coking coal to the list of critical materials. This is stated in the message of the department last week.

The agency concluded that the current steel market in the United States and its dependence on coking coal puts the industry on a path of significant dependence on imports. In addition, it is noted that the overall infrastructure and workforce supporting the production of both energy and metallurgical coal are under pressure due to reduced investment and operating capacity, so appropriate intervention is required.

According to Argus Media, the decision was made a month after US President Donald Trump ordered an assessment of the country's coal resources. American coking coal producers can benefit from faster mining permits, tax breaks, and federal grants.

However, the decision may have negative consequences for the American coal market, the agency notes. The offshore coking coal market is currently leaning towards oversupply, which has had a strong impact on price indices. Several American manufacturers of these products operate close to or above cost. Many of them have reduced production starting in the fourth quarter of 2024.

American mining companies are also talking about the need for consolidation in the industry. However, it may be postponed if a business in a difficult situation receives financial support from the state.