Ukraine saw a 4.3% y/y decline in rolled steel production in 1H2026

Steel production fell by 3.2% year-on-year over the period

In January–June 2026, Ukraine’s steelworks reduced their production of commercial rolled steel by 4.3% year-on-year, to 2.94 million tonnes. This is according to data from the state-owned enterprise Ukrmetallurgprom.

Pig iron production in the first half of the year remained almost at the same level as last year – 3.66 million tonnes (-0.2% year-on-year), whilst steel output fell by 3.2% year-on-year – to 3.57 million tonnes.

In June alone, steel output totalled 690.8 thousand tonnes, up 11.2% year-on-year and 9.7% month-on-month.

Pig iron production for the month rose by 1.3% year-on-year and 5.7% month-on-month to 670.6 thousand tonnes. Rolled steel output in June 2026 increased by 6.5% year-on-year and by 11.5% compared with May, reaching 599.8 thousand tonnes.

It should be noted that, according to last year’s figures, Ukraine’s steel industry increased its production of commercial rolled steel by 4.8% year-on-year, to 6.52 million tonnes. Pig iron production last year rose by 11.2% year-on-year to 7.88 million tonnes, whilst steel production fell by 2.2% year-on-year to 7.41 million tonnes. The sector’s performance continued to improve last year, reaching its highest levels since the start of the full-scale invasion, with the exception of steel production.

As reported by GMK Center, Ukraine’s steel companies increased exports of merchant pig iron by 8.3% in January–May 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, to 797.68 thousand tonnes. The United States accounted for the bulk of consumption of Ukrainian products.