In August, Ukraine completely stopped exporting merchant pig iron due to the blockade of Black Sea ports. If this situation persists, Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises could lose a portion of their international market share. According to «Slovo i Dilo», this is indicated by GMK Center calculations based on State Customs Service data, as reported by the PromPolitInform portal.
In total, from January to August 2026, Ukrainian enterprises exported 1.03 million tonnes of merchant pig iron—16.4% less than during the same period the previous year.
The USA remained the largest buyer, receiving 900.6 thousand tonnes of pig iron. This represents an 11% decrease compared to the first eight months of 2025.
Calculations suggest that the complete halt in shipments in August risks Ukrainian producers losing their market position abroad, as buyers may turn to alternative suppliers.
