The export of scrap of ferrous metals from Ukraine, according to the results of 2024, increased by 60% compared to 2023 - up to 293.2 thousand. In conditions of complicated collection of raw materials, the mass export of scrap abroad threatens the stability of the Ukrainian metallurgical industry and the implementation of plans to increase steel production, writes GMK Center.

A sharp increase in scrap metal exports occurred back in 2021: then 615.7 thousand were shipped over the year. T raw materials, against 35.8 thousand. T in 2020. Such an export surge was caused by an ascending tendency in the global metallurgical industry after a recession during the Covid-19 period. The main consumer of Ukrainian raw materials then became Turkiye. Ukraine in 2021 also increased the smelting of steel, and then a sharp increase in the outflow of critically important raw materials caused concern for metallurgists.

The authorities, for their part, set a scrap metal export of € 180/t in order to protect the domestic metallurgical market. But these duties do not operate on the EU market - for them, according to Access2Market data, the tariff is set at 0%. And Ukrainian exporters have already developed schemes according to which scrap according to the documents should be in the EU, and in reality, it is re -exported to Turkey and other countries, which avoids the payment of duties.

For example, Poland in 2023 consumed 160.6 thousand. tons of Ukrainian origin, and in 2024 - 248.6 thousand. At the same time, in 2023, Polish metallurgists reduced steel smelting by 13.1%, and in 2024 they increased by 10.1% g. /G. , up to 7.1 million tons.

At the same time, the export of scrap metal from Poland, according to Eurostat, amounted to 764.39 thousand in 2022. T, and in 2023 exceeded 1.29 million tons (+69.9% g. /G. It is noteworthy that it is from 2023 that the supply of Polish scrap metal to Turkey has a sharp increase: from 176.74 thousand. T in 2022, up to 452.71 thousand. T for 11 months 2024.

Thus, the EU countries can be used to re -export of critically important raw materials bypassing export duties and additional revenues to the budget of Ukraine, summarizes GMK Center.