Metinvest chief urges EU to exempt Ukraine from steel import curbs
Metinvest chief executive Yuriy Ryzhenkov has urged the EU to exempt Ukraine from steel import restrictions, saying the measures unfairly group it with countries such as China and Turkey. He argues that access to the EU market is vital to the Ukrainian industry’s survival as it faces Russian attacks and the loss of other export routes.
The EU has capped annual steel imports eligible for duty-free access at 18.3 million tonnes, 47% below 2024 levels, while setting country-specific quotas. Ukraine’s steel industry estimates its exports to the EU could fall by 50–60%; the European Commission says Ukraine has a dedicated quota and that its difficult circumstances were considered, though the quota is lower than in past years. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, metallurgy and mining accounted for about 10% of Ukraine’s national income and a third of its exports.
- Ukraine’s steel industry wants an exemption from EU import restrictions.
- It warns steel exports to the EU could fall by 50–60%.
- The EU says Ukraine has a dedicated, reduced quota.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ukraine’s steel industry is operating under extraordinary wartime conditions, with Russian attacks damaging production and other export routes lost. Since the EU market is crucial to the sector and to Ukraine’s wider economy, an exemption could help preserve jobs, export earnings and industrial capacity while avoiding treating Ukraine like larger competitors such as China and Turkey.
The case against
The EU has sharply reduced duty-free steel imports overall and allocated country-specific quotas, while giving Ukraine a dedicated quota and taking its circumstances into account. Keeping common limits could protect European producers from import pressure and maintain consistent trade rules; an exemption could shift more of the burden onto them or prompt calls for similar treatment from other countries.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by BBC World as “EU tariffs aimed at China hitting Ukraine, steel boss says”.