In brief
Metinvest’s chief executive Yuriy Ryzhenkov has declared the EU’s new steel tariffs “unfair” for Ukraine, arguing they ignore the war‑damaged state of the country’s factories. The EU has capped duty‑free steel imports at 18.3 million tonnes a year—a 47% cut from 2024 levels—while keeping specific quotas for individual nations. Ukraine’s steel sector, which supplied a third of its exports before the 2022 invasion, now faces a 50–60 % drop in EU sales as production at its plants, including those owned by Metinvest, has been largely halted by air strikes. Ryzhenkov insists a dedicated carve‑out for Ukrainian steel would keep the industry afloat and preserve jobs in a war‑torn economy.
Metinvest, one of Ukraine’s largest steel producers, has labelled the European Union’s latest tariffs on imported steel as “unfair” and “bundled” against its country. The chief executive, Yuriy Ryzhenkov, says the rules were imposed without understanding Ukraine’s wartime situation and that the only viable solution is a dedicated carve‑out for Ukrainian steel.
The EU has recently lowered the annual duty‑free import cap for all steel to 18.3 million tonnes— a 47 % reduction from 2024 levels—while keeping some country‑specific quotas. Ukraine, which supplied a third of its exports to Europe before the 2022 invasion, now faces a 50–60 % decline in sales as its plants have stopped production after repeated air strikes.
“Access to the European market is crucial for survival,” Ryzhenkov told the BBC. “The restrictive measures put in place by EU authorities do not help. We are being treated the same as all other importers, when the war has crippled our infrastructure.”
EU officials argue that the tariffs consider Ukraine’s difficult situation and that the country has a specific quota guaranteed for exported steel, albeit at a lower level than in recent years. They claim compensation has been offered to major suppliers, including Ukraine.
Ukraine’s steel industry accounts for roughly 10% of the country’s national income and 30% of its exports. With almost 800 Metinvest workers killed during the conflict and a complete halt of steel production in September 2022, the industry’s future appears bleak. Ryzhenkov expects the coming winter to be “one of the hardest in our history.”
Only strategic measures in logistics and safer working procedures can keep the industry afloat in a war‑inflicted economy, the CEO added.
