Turkey accounts for up to 60% of Ukraine’s rolled steel import market in 2025

Supplies of rolled steel from Turkey to the Ukrainian market in January-November 2025 increased by 30.4% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching 746.77 thousand tons. Thus, the share of Turkish products in Ukrainian imports reached 59.4% compared to 53.2% 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 28.9% y-o-y over 11 months, to 603.41 thousand tons, and long products increased by 36.8% y-o-y, to 143.37 thousand tons. These products accounted for 59.4% and 59.3% of total imports, respectively (52.2% and 57.6% a year earlier).

The largest volumes of supplies were coated flat products – 270.58 thousand tons (+56.2% y-o-y) and hot-rolled flat products – 249.88 thousand tons (+9.4% y-o-y). In addition, 75.34 thousand tons of angles (+32% y-o-y) and 70.36 thousand tons of cold-rolled flat products (+36.3% y-o-y) were imported.

In November, metal product deliveries from Turkey to Ukraine decreased by 8.6% y-o-y to 52.84 thousand tons, in particular, flat products increased by 23.6% y-o-y to 48.68 thousand tons, while long products decreased by 77.4% y-o-y to 4.17 thousand tons.

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

According to him, 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 manufacturers may permanently lose the domestic market, which should be a “safety cushion” for the industry in the context of war and post-war recovery.

It should be recalled that in January-November 2025, the long steel products market in Ukraine showed significant growth in imports – by 51.3% compared to the same period in 2024 – to 247.52 thousand tons.