Ukrainian metallurgists accuse Polish trade unions and industrial associations of trying to shift the blame for the problems of the Polish steel industry to them. So, now in Poland they are calling on the government to demand from the European Commission a 12-month embargo on the import of Ukrainian steel, arguing that this is “unfair competition”. The Ukrainian side denies the accusations, emphasizing that export volumes remain below the pre-war level of 2021 and do not pose a threat to Polish producers.

Kyiv Independent writes about this.

According to Eurostat, in the first seven months of 2025, Ukrainian steel exports to Poland increased by 19% compared to the same period in 2024. But these volumes are not a record for recent years, and on a market scale are generally insignificant: Ukraine accounts for 14.7% of Polish steel imports, while Germany supplies 27%.

President of the Ukrmetallurgprom association Alexander Kalenkov says that Polish industry is trying to find a “convenient culprit” for its own lack of competitiveness.

" Their problems are related to high electricity prices and the fact that some European companies still buy cheap Russian raw materials,” explained Kalenkov.

While the Poles are complaining, their steel industry is growing: in the first half of 2025, steel production in Poland increased by 8%, and the production of fittings by 6.4%. But Polish associations are still dissatisfied with supposedly cheaper Ukrainian products.

However, according to ArcelorMittal Krivoy Rog, the cost of production in Ukraine is significantly higher: in August, the price of electricity for Ukrainian enterprises was 115 euros per MWh, while in Poland it was 89.6 euros. Ukrainian factories also pay more for gas and coal.

General Director of the GMK Center analytical center Stanislav Zinchenko called the Polish side’s claims baseless: “How can the Ukrainian metallurgy destroyed by the war, which is only trying to survive, pose a threat to the growing Polish?

Ukrainian metallurgy is one of the industries most affected by Russian aggression, the publication points out.. Steel production in Ukraine decreased from 22 million tons in 2021 to 7.6 million tons in 2024.

The new restrictions demanded by the Poles could lead to a reduction in production, increased costs and even the shutdown of individual enterprises. This will hit not only the economy, but also the country’s defense capability - in 2024 alone, the four largest metallurgical companies paid $780 million in taxes, which is 1.6% of all budget revenues. Taking into account taxes from related industries and consumer spending by all people employed in the industry, the tax effect is about $3 billion.

“Restrictions on Ukrainian exports will not solve Poland’s internal problems, but will create a new crisis in Ukraine.

We have already seen a similar scenario with grain – now we risk getting a “steel” conflict,” concluded Kalenkov.

Previously, Poland had already introduced unilateral bans on the import of Ukrainian grain, which led to tension in relations between Kiev and Warsaw. Ukrainian metallurgists fear that history may repeat itself, this time in a strategically important industry that provides 16% of Ukrainian exports and a significant share of Ukrzaliznytsia’s revenues..