The Ukrainian scrap industry saw notable growth in exports in August 2025, with a 22.1% year-on-year increase compared to August 2024. Ukrainian scrap exports amounted to 34.71 thousand tons in August, although this represented a decline of 22.6% from the previous month. Despite this month-on-month drop, year-to-date scrap exports from Ukraine have surged by 59.3%, totaling 283.05 thousand tons in the first eight months of 2025.
Poland Dominates as Key Destination for Ukrainian Scrap
Poland continues to be the primary market for Ukrainian scrap. In August 2025, 28.81 thousand tons of scrap were shipped to Poland, accounting for 70.5% of the total exports. This marked a 15.1% increase compared to August 2024, although it represented a 14.4% decrease from the previous month. Smaller quantities of Ukrainian scrap were sent to Greece (2.85 thousand tons) and Bulgaria (1.51 thousand tons).
From January to August 2025, scrap exports to Poland totaled 236.84 thousand tons, up 55.5% year-on-year. In contrast, shipments to Greece and Bulgaria showed minimal or negative growth. This suggests Poland’s strategic role in facilitating scrap transit, particularly as it has become a critical hub for exports to Turkey. Despite the European Union’s €180/t export duty, Polish scrap exports to Turkey more than doubled in 2024, reaching 529 thousand tons.
Scraps, Trade Barriers, and Re-export Trends
While Ukraine has been exporting a significant amount of scrap, trade barriers continue to shape the global scrap market. Data indicate that Polish scrap exports to Turkey surged, with a notable increase in the amount of raw materials imported from Ukraine. This pattern is indicative of Ukrainian scrap being rerouted through Poland to circumvent export duties. In addition to this growing trend, Ukrainian scrap exports recently resumed to Transnistria, a Russian enclave, signaling a potential shift in raw material flow despite political tensions.
The increasing trade restrictions on raw materials underscore the strategic importance of scrap metal in the global green metallurgy transition. With countries prioritizing scrap as a resource for decarbonization, there are mounting pressures to keep such materials within national borders. This could limit global supply and change the competitive landscape for countries like Ukraine.
SuperMetalPrice Commentary:
Ukraine’s scrap export surge reflects both market demand and the strategic shifts in global scrap trade. While Polish exports to Turkey and other non-EU destinations highlight the growing complexity of the trade flow, Ukraine faces mounting challenges in the form of global trade barriers and environmental considerations. The long-term outlook points to a future where finished steel, rather than raw scrap, becomes the preferred export commodity. As global industries continue their pivot to sustainability, countries with abundant scrap supplies must rethink their export strategies to align with green steel demands and safeguard domestic markets.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.