In brief
Metinvest chief executive Yuriy Ryzhenkov has called on the European Union to exempt Ukraine from its recent steel import restrictions, arguing the measures have been unfairly applied to a war‑torn economy. The EU’s new quotas limit tax‑free steel imports to 18.3 million tonnes, a 47% cut from 2024, which could slash Ukrainian steel exports by 50‑60%. Ryzhenkov warned that the war has already halted production at Ukraine’s steel mills and that the upcoming winter will be one of the toughest in company history. The EU maintains that Ukraine’s specific quotas ensure continued access to the market, albeit at lower volumes, and claims it has offered compensations to key suppliers. Metinvest’s plea highlights the broader conflict between trade policy and wartime realities for Ukraine’s vital metallurgy sector.
Metinvest chief executive Yuriy Ryzhenkov has urged the European Union to carve out an exemption for Ukrainian steel in its newly imposed import quotas, arguing the measures have been applied without consideration for a country still under siege.
EU authorities recently capped tax‑free steel imports at 18.3 million tonnes per year—a 47% cut from 2024 levels—citing pressure from member states to protect domestic industry from cheap imports from China and Turkey.
Ryzhenkov said the policy “has been bundled together” with other countries, ignoring that Ukraine is fighting a full‑scale war that has already halted steel production at its mills. He warned that Ukraine’s exports could fall by 50‑60% if the EU does not adjust the quotas.
The EU maintains that its quota for Ukraine guarantees some level of export while admitting the volume is lower than previous years. A spokesperson added the bloc has offered compensations to its largest suppliers, including Metinvest.
Metinvest’s steel plants have been repeatedly bombed since the invasion, with the company recording almost 800 worker casualties. In September, the firm produced no steel for the first time in nearly 150 years.
Ryzhenkov said the coming winter will be one of the hardest in the company’s history, with logistics to alternative markets nearly impossible and the EU market cut by 60%.
