In September, shipments of iron ore raw materials abroad dropped to 1.17 million tonnes
In September 2026, iron ore exports from Ukraine decreased by 52% year-on-year due to the blockade of sea ports, halting shipments to China. The total volume of monthly overseas supplies reached 1.17 million tonnes, while monetary revenue dropped to $79.7 million. This was reported by Delo.ua citing GMK Center, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
In the first month of autumn, the volume of iron ore shipments abroad decreased by 37% compared to August of the current year. The blockade of Black Sea ports became the main obstacle to restoring full-scale sales.
Shipment volumes to Slovakia and Poland
Deliveries to Slovakia increased to 452,000 tonnes, showing a 6% growth over the month and a 121% increase year-on-year. Meanwhile, 343,000 tonnes of ore were sent to Poland, which is 2.5% less than the August figure, but 28% higher than the result of the same period last year.
Reduction in foreign exchange revenue
Financial proceeds from the sale of iron ore products for September amounted to $79.7 million. Over the month, this figure decreased by 35%, and compared to September 2025, the drop reached 56%.
Results for nine months
Over the period from January to September 2026, domestic enterprises exported 16.9 million tonnes of ore, which is 30% less than last year’s volumes. Total foreign exchange revenue during this time decreased by 29% to $1.28 billion.
The role of the Chinese market
Despite the September pause due to the impossibility of maritime transit, China remains the largest buyer of Ukrainian ore based on the results of three quarters. 7 million tonnes of raw materials were sent there, which is 45% less year-on-year.
Export indicators of neighboring countries
Supply volumes to Slovakia for January–September amounted to 3.3 million tonnes with a slight decrease of 0.6%. 2.4 million tonnes of products were sent to Poland over the same period, which is 27% less than in the corresponding period of last year.
Photo: Delo.ua
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