According to the results from January to October of this year, the import of metal products to Ukraine, including rolled products and pipes, reached 1.24 million tons, which is 18.6% more compared to the same period in 2024. This increase in import volumes indicates a significant rise in the Ukrainian market’s dependence on foreign manufacturers, especially from Turkey and China.
This is reported by Finway
Leading Positions of Turkish and Chinese Companies
Turkish manufacturers currently hold a key share of the metal product import market in Ukraine — 58.8%. In the first 10 months of 2025, 730,270 tons of metal products were imported from Turkey, representing a growth of 32.5% compared to last year’s figures. Chinese suppliers are also showing dynamic growth: the import volume from this country increased by 45.8%, reaching 172,120 tons, thus China’s share in the metal product import market stands at 13.9%.
Consequences for Domestic Production
Amid the active promotion of Turkish and Chinese manufacturers, there is a noticeable decrease in the share of Ukrainian metal products in domestic consumption. If systematic support for the national metallurgy sector is not implemented, the country risks facing a deepening imbalance between domestic production and imports.
Thus, without systematic support for the metallurgy sector, Ukraine may encounter a worsening imbalance between domestic production and imports, which in the long term will not only weaken the positions of domestic metallurgists but also increase the country’s dependence on external supplies of critically important products.
The growth in imports may lead to a weakening of the positions of Ukrainian producers and an increased dependence on foreign suppliers in the field of strategic metal products.