The European Business Association (EBA) has officially appealed to Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky, urging authorities not to lift the zero quota on scrap metal exports until a unified and transparent export duty applicable to all destinations is introduced. According to business community representatives, amid the ongoing war, scrap metal is considered not merely a standard foreign trade commodity, but a critically important strategic raw material for the survival and stable operation of the domestic metallurgical industry.

Market Dynamics and the Threat of Raw Material Shortages

According to official statistics, by the end of 2025, ferrous scrap metal exports demonstrated significant growth of 53%, reaching 448.68 thousand tonnes. EBA analysts and experts express serious concern that prematurely removing existing restrictions could cause these volumes to surge even further. Such a scenario would inevitably trigger an acute shortage of raw materials for Ukrainian processing enterprises, which are already operating under extreme conditions.

Controversial Data

While the European Business Association insists on maintaining the zero quota until a unified duty is implemented, different assessments are being voiced within expert circles and the government. In particular, the Ukrmetallurgprom association and several Cabinet of Ministers representatives previously pointed to the need for strict restrictions or even an actual ban on raw material exports in 2026 to support domestic manufacturers. Meanwhile, some industry experts and business representatives express fears that delayed decision-making could lead to the redirection of flows through circumventing logistical schemes within European Union countries.

Economic Risks and the Association's Position

The EBA also highlights problematic aspects of past practices, when significant volumes of Ukrainian scrap metal were supplied to Poland and other EU countries with subsequent re-export to third states. According to preliminary estimates by business association analysts, such gray schemes cost the Ukrainian state budget approximately 4 billion hryvnias annually. To prevent a repetition of such losses, the association proposes introducing a strict export duty of 180 euros per tonne for a period of 10 years for all countries without exception.