Ukraine increased exports of pig iron by 11.1% y/y in 1H2026

In January–June 2026, Ukraine’s steelworks increased their exports of merchant pig iron by 11.1% compared with the same period in 2025, reaching 981.46 thousand tonnes. This is according to calculations by the GMK Centre based on data from the State Customs Service.

During the period, 851.05 thousand tonnes of pig iron were shipped to the US, up 24.8% year-on-year; 26.5 thousand tonnes to Italy (down 75.1% year-on-year); and 15.42 thousand tonnes to Poland (down 29.9% year-on-year).

In June, product shipments rose by 15.3% month-on-month and by 25.2% year-on-year, reaching 183.78 thousand tonnes. 155.31 thousand tonnes of pig iron were shipped to the US market (+40.8% month-on-month; +54.4% year-on-year), and 4.49 thousand tonnes to the Polish market (71.5% month-on-month; -9.8% year-on-year). No products have been supplied to Italy since February.

In the second quarter, pig iron exports rose by 22.3% year-on-year and by 14.9% quarter-on-quarter, to 524.83 thousand tonnes.

Revenue from pig iron exports over the six-month period amounted to $388.89 million, up 11.3% year-on-year. In June, the figure rose by 20.2% month-on-month and by 34.8% year-on-year, to $79.33 million, whilst in the second quarter it rose by 28.3% year-on-year and 27.8% month-on-month, to $218.18 million.

It should be noted that in 2025, Ukraine’s steelworks increased their exports of merchant pig iron by 53.5% compared with the same period in 2024, reaching 1.98 million tonnes. Revenue from pig iron exports for the year amounted to 759.88 million, up 51.9% year-on-year.

During the period, 1.33 million tonnes of pig iron were exported to the US, a 41.6% year-on-year increase; to Italy – 416.31 thousand tonnes (+346.3% year-on-year); to Poland – 61.37 thousand tonnes (-2.7% year-on-year); and to the Netherlands – 52.03 thousand tonnes.

In the fourth quarter, pig iron export volumes rose by 35.7% compared with the same period in 2024 and by 11.9% compared with the previous quarter, reaching 579.47 thousand tonnes. This is the highest quarterly figure since the start of the full-scale invasion.