Procurement volume of Russian semi-finished steel exceeded limits for Ukrainian steel by 60%
During the first eight months of 2026, the European Union purchased 1.6 million tonnes of metal products from Russia worth 682 million euros. These figures were recorded against the backdrop of quota restrictions for Ukrainian steel producers capped at 1 million tonnes. This was reported by Glavcom citing GMK Center, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
According to analytical data, the bulk of Russian imports to European Union countries consisted of semi-finished steel products. Statistics show that their volume reached 1.56 million tonnes, with the financial value of these shipments estimated at 670 million euros.
Scale of shipments from Russia
A significant concentration of purchases is observed in Belgium, where 767.7 thousand tonnes of semi-finished products were sent. The Italian market also remains a major consumer of Russian products, having received 191.8 thousand tonnes during the specified period.
Restriction mechanisms
Currently, there is no complete ban in the European Union on the import of semi-finished steel products from Russia. A gradual transition period is provided for slabs: the current annual quota is 2.6 million tonnes, but the limit is scheduled to be reduced to 2 million tonnes starting in October 2027.
Consequences for Ukrainian exports
The new tariff quota system introduced by the EU for Ukraine creates significant obstacles for national steelmakers. It is forecasted that this will lead to annual losses in export volumes ranging from 1.3 to 1.6 million tonnes, which in monetary terms equates to a reduction of 1.1 billion dollars in foreign currency earnings.
In 2025, the volume of metallurgical products that the EU received from Russia amounted to 5.08 million tonnes. The total revenue of the Russian metallurgical sector from such export operations last year is estimated at 2.08 billion euros.
Illustrative photo: Serpen wiki woker. Source: 1. Промышленность России. – М.: Госкомстат России. – 1996. – С. 164. 2. Russia in the Minerals Yearbook, years 1994 – 2022 [1]. 3. World Steel in Figures 2024, World Steel in Figures 2025, World Steel in Figures 2026 [2]. / CC BY-SA 3.0
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