--- title: "“How much will Ukraine earn from this?”: ICC Ukraine against opening scrap metal exports without a proven surplus" description: "ICC Ukraine President Vladimir Shchelkunov stated that Ukraine should not open scrap metal exports without a proven surplus, a full fiscal calculation, and guarantees of raw material supply for metallurgy. In his words, every tonne of scrap that stays in the country generates wages, taxes, and export revenue." date: 2026-09-17T12:46:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/icc-ukraine-against-scrap-metal-export-without-proven-surplus tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “How much will Ukraine earn from this?”: ICC Ukraine against opening scrap metal exports without a proven surplus ![Scrap metal containers at a recycling yard amid the debate over Ukraine's scrap export policy](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/18/icc-ukraine-protiv-eksporta-metalloroma-bez-dokazannogo-proficita/icc-ukraine-protiv-eksporta-metalloroma-bez-dokazannogo-proficita-1.webp) Vladimir Shchelkunov, President of the Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC Ukraine, issued a sharp statement against the premature opening of scrap metal exports. In his words, Kyiv should not lift restrictions on scrap exports without having in hand an accurate balance of the domestic market, a calculation of the fiscal effect, and guarantees of raw material supply for metallurgical enterprises. The statement came against the backdrop of an active debate in parliament and the business community over whether to change the current model of zero quotas, introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers from 1 January 2026 for the entire current year. ### Scrap as a strategic resource, not just a commodity In the conditions of an ongoing war, Shchelkunov believes, scrap metal should be viewed not as an ordinary commodity but as a critically important resource for producing value-added goods within the country. Ukrainian metallurgy is already operating under multiple pressures: Russian attacks on infrastructure, chronic power supply problems, logistical disruptions, and high production costs make access to domestic raw material a matter of survival for the industry. “When a tonne of scrap metal stays in Ukraine, it becomes part of the production of steel and other metal products. Wages are formed, taxes are paid, transport and energy bills are settled, related enterprises operate, and export revenue is generated,” emphasized the President of ICC Ukraine. Thus, every tonne that leaves the country deprives the economy of an entire chain of multiplier effects. ### Budget calculation: not just customs duties Shchelkunov placed a separate emphasis on the methodology for assessing export potential. In his words, when discussing the opening of exports, the state must calculate not only possible customs receipts but the full spectrum of tax and social payments by metallurgical enterprises: corporate tax, contributions, wages, transport and energy payments, as well as foreign currency revenue from the export of finished metal products. “The argument ‘we will open exports and business will earn’ does not convince me. What interests me is different: how much will Ukraine earn from this?” he stated. The expert stresses that before any review of the restrictions, the government must determine the actual volume of scrap generated in the country, the needs of domestic metallurgy, accumulated stocks, and the presence of a proven surplus. Only after that, in his logic, can the export of excess volumes be discussed. ### “Grey” transit schemes and budget losses Particular attention was given by Shchelkunov to the risk of opaque transit and intermediary operations through EU countries. He reminded that scrap had previously been massively exported through Poland, where no duty of 160 euros per tonne had to be paid, and from there it was resold to Turkey. According to estimates by Members of Parliament, due to such “grey” schemes the state budget lost at least 3 billion hryvnia annually. Shchelkunov clarifies that not every transit operation is illegal; however, if the main margin on Ukrainian resources is formed abroad, while the budget and industry within the country suffer losses, such operations should become a subject of special attention by regulatory authorities. The state, in his words, must see the end buyer, the real price, the route of the goods, the chain of resales, and the related parties. ### The Cabinet’s position and lobbying pressure Recall that the Cabinet of Ministers, from 1 January 2026, restricted scrap metal exports for the entire year, justifying this by the need to supply Ukrainian enterprises with raw material for the production of defence products, the restoration of infrastructure, and the domestic market. Nevertheless, recently a lobbying movement for the removal or easing of the restrictions has intensified. Previously, ferroalloy producers, on the contrary, called for introducing an additional duty on scrap exports to the EU, which indicates a split within the industrial community. ICC Ukraine takes an intermediate but firm position: export in itself is not the problem, but it must be embedded in a transparent regulatory model that simultaneously protects the budget, supports the collection industry, and guarantees metallurgical enterprises access to raw material. ### Contradictory data In the public discourse around scrap metal exports, there is a notable discrepancy in assessments between various interest groups. On the one hand, part of the business community and exporters argue for the need to open the market, citing an accumulated surplus of scrap and potential customs receipts into the budget. On the other hand, ICC Ukraine and ferroalloy producers insist that there is no proven surplus to date, and that the current zero quotas are a measure of national security in wartime conditions. Moreover, the figure of 3 billion hryvnia in annual budget losses, voiced by Members of Parliament, has not been independently verified by an audit, which leaves room for debate over the real scale of “grey” losses. Shchelkunov, in turn, stresses that without a full economic calculation and transparent control, any decisions to open exports would be premature. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Ukraine should not export scrap only to buy value-added products later, - ICC Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-povinna-vivoziti-bruht-shchob-potim-1789648865.html) - Подтверждено по источнику rbc.ua - [Ukraine should not export scrap metal only to buy value-added products later ...](https://www.unian.net/economics/other/ukraina-ne-dolzhna-vyvozit-metallolom-chtoby-potom-pokupat-produkciyu-s-dobavlennoy-stoimostyu-icc-ukraine-13502634.html) - Подтверждено по источнику unian.net - [Scrap metal exports: ICC explains the introduction of zero quotas in Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/eksport-metalobruhtu-icc-poyasnili-zaprovadzhennya-1772624458.html) - Подтверждено по источнику rbc.ua - [Zero quotas on scrap metal exports were a measure of national security – ICC](https://www.obozrevatel.com/ekonomika-glavnaya/nulevyie-kvotyi-na-eksport-metalloloma-byili-meroj-natsionalnoj-bezopasnosti-icc.htm) - Подтверждено по источнику obozrevatel.com