Ukraine’s Steel Import Dependence Hits 46.8% as Mill Shutdowns Fuel Shortages

By the fall of 2026, shutdowns at major steel mills had accelerated a shift in Ukraine’s domestic steel market. Before the full-scale war, the country produced more than 21 million metric tons of steel annually and ranked among the leading steel exporters. It is now increasingly reliant on imports.

Russian attacks forced the closure of facilities operated by Metinvest Group, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, and Interpipe. With domestic steel production nearly halted, supplies of rebar and rolled steel have begun to dwindle.

Ukrmetallurgprom reports that imports’ share of domestic consumption rose from 22.6% in 2021 to 46.8% in the first three quarters of 2026. Over the same period, Ukraine imported 84,000 metric tons of rebar, nearly one and a half times the amount imported during the same period a year earlier.

Steel Imports Struggle to Fill Ukraine’s Supply Gap

China and Turkey are now the leading suppliers, but some products must come from less traditional markets. In September, Egypt supplied substantial volumes of rebar, while purchases of mesh wire rod began in Moldova.

Warehouse stocks are providing some support for the market in the short term. Metinvest said it could cover roughly 95% of forecast demand over the coming month, although shortages of certain items are already apparent.

GMK Center estimates that the monthly deficit of the most widely used rolled steel products has reached about 200,000 metric tons. Imports have not yet made up the difference.

“With ports blocked, it is a colossal challenge for the industry to secure suppliers for shipments of this scale and transport the metal overland,” said Stanislav Zinchenko, director of the GMK Center.

Logistics are hindering a rapid increase in imports. The metal must be transported through ports in Romania and Bulgaria, and then by rail or truck. Delivery can take at least two months.

Rising domestic transportation costs are creating additional pressure. Ukrzaliznytsia’s 30% increase in freight rates in August raised the cost of production and imports.

Construction companies are already preparing for the new conditions. KAN Development stated that without imported rebar, construction could face serious constraints.

Russian Strikes Cripple Ukraine’s Steel Industry

Following a Russian ballistic missile strike on the night of September 5, the Kametstal plant in Kamyanske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, halted production entirely. A series of Russian attacks has brought steel production in Ukraine close to zero, prompting the country’s largest steel mill, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, to prepare for a complete shutdown and the mothballing of its industrial facilities. The company plans to safely wind down production over the next two months, then preserve its equipment and other assets until operations can resume. Ukraine is consequently shifting from being a major steel producer and exporter to becoming dependent on imports, raising logistics costs and delivery times for the construction industry and driving up project costs.e next two months, the company plans to safely shut down production and subsequently preserve equipment and other assets until operations can resume.

The Kametstal plant in Kamyanske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, completely halted production following a Russian ballistic missile strike on the night of September 5.