Turkey accounted for 60% of Ukraine’s rolled steel import market in 1H2025

Steel imports from Turkey to Ukraine in January-June 2025 increased by 47.9% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching 405,840 tons. Thus, the share of Turkish products in Ukrainian imports reached 59.5% compared to 49.6% a year earlier. This is evidenced by GMK Center calculations based on data from the State Customs Service.

Imports of flat rolled products of Turkish origin increased by 42.8% y-o-y over six months, to 325.65 thousand tons, and long products increased by 73.3% y-o-y, to 80.19 thousand tons. These products accounted for 58.8% and 62.8% of total imports, respectively (48.1% and 58.9% a year earlier).

The largest volumes of supplies were coated flat products – 139.42 thousand tons (+67.3% y-o-y) and hot-rolled flat products – 139.11 thousand tons (+28.6% y-o-y). In addition, 46.78 thousand tons of angles (+80.9% y-o-y) and 37.94 thousand tons of cold-rolled flat products (+34.8% y-o-y) were imported.

In June, steel product deliveries from Turkey to Ukraine increased by 26.8% y-o-y – to 68.18 thousand tons, in particular, flat products – by 36.9% y-o-y to 56.37 thousand tons, while long products decreased by 6.3% y-o-y – to 11.81 thousand tons.

As noted by Olexander Kalenkov, president of the Ukrmetprom business association, the sharp increase in imports, particularly from Turkey and China, already poses a direct threat to Ukrainian producers. The growth in the long-length rolled steel segment – rebar and wire rod, which Ukrainian companies are capable of producing themselves – is particularly critical.

According to Kalenkov, the situation requires urgent intervention by the state, as imported products often enjoy price advantages due to the use of cheap energy and steel billets from Russia. Such competition is unfair and puts Ukrainian factories at a disadvantage.

Ukrmetprom emphasizes that if appropriate protective measures are not taken, Ukrainian producers may permanently lose the domestic market, which should be a “safety cushion” for the industry during the war and post-war recovery.

As a reminder, in the first half of 2025, Ukraine increased its imports of flat rolled products by 16.8% y/y to 554.05 thousand tons. Deliveries of long rolled products increased by 62.6% y/y – to 127.75 thousand tons.