UMP Demands Priority in Transport for Metallurgy on Par with Fuel and Oil: Appeal to Koretsky

The Ukrainian government is preparing a resolution that grants two categories of cargo priority in the organization of transportation by rail, in sea ports, and at border crossings: fuel and vegetable oil. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing a letter from the Joint Trade Union Organization Ukrmetallurgprom (UMP) addressed to Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky, the industry lobby believes that under such circumstances, similar preferences should also be granted to ferrous metallurgy products. UMP President Oleksandr Kalenkov explicitly stated that the inclusion of oil in the list of priority cargo while omitting metallurgy "frankly surprised" him.

What the Draft Resolution Envisages

According to UMP, the draft Cabinet of Ministers resolution secures for fuel and vegetable oil the preferential right to approve rail transport, berth ships, and pass through border stations. Kalenkov acknowledges that the industry has no questions regarding fuel: "Without it, business does not work, and the country will not survive the winter." However, according to him, it was the second item on the list—vegetable oil—that caused bewilderment, because when setting priorities based on added value and foreign exchange earnings, metallurgy should objectively be present in this list.

Industry Contribution: 5.5% of GDP, UAH 150 Billion in Taxes, and $6 Billion in Currency

In 2025, the mining and metals complex accounted for about 5.5% of Ukraine's GDP, UAH 150 billion in tax revenues, and $6 billion in foreign exchange earnings, UMP emphasizes. Over five years, the largest metallurgical enterprises paid taxes and fees totaling more than UAH 200 billion ($6.2 billion). At the end of 2024, the payment of taxes and fees by four metallurgical companies amounted to 1.6% of revenues to budgets of all levels. At the same time, according to Kalenkov's estimate, in 2026 the industry ended the year with a net loss of about UAH 28 billion: the situation was worsened by Russian attacks and systemic logistics problems.

Logistics Crisis: Ports Blocked, Tariffs Doubled

Since July 13, Ukraine's sea ports have effectively been blocked, resulting in Western rail crossings and limited capacities of Danube ports becoming the main export routes. Simultaneously, transportation costs surged: according to the association, railway delivery of pig iron and raw materials for its production rose from $30 to $68 per ton of finished products. Kalenkov notes that Ukrainian steel is competitive on the European market primarily due to speed—delivery takes days and weeks, whereas Asian competitors operate on a scale of months. "Every day in the queue at the border turns into lost currency for the state," he formulates.

What Exactly UMP is Asking For and the Budgetary Consequences

In the appeal to the Prime Minister, metallurgists ask to grant ferrous metallurgy products priority in approving rail shipments to ports and border stations, as well as in determining the priority of berthing ships for loading export cargo. Kalenkov emphasizes that under current conditions, access to rail and port logistics has become a matter of preserving exports and production itself for the industry. The budgetary consequences of the delays are already palpable: in the first nine months of 2026, the Ukrainian budget undercollected about UAH 49.5 billion in taxes. According to estimates, losses could grow to UAH 70 billion by the end of the year, and under a pessimistic scenario—up to UAH 100 billion.