Serhiy Skorbun, a representative of the Metinvest group, noted that approximately 60% of cargo in Ukraine is transported by Ukrzaliznytsia. There are not many countries in the world where rail transport holds such significant importance. For metallurgists, rail is the primary mode of transport as it facilitates the mass transportation of heavy goods, including ore, coal, limestone, and metal products. It is important to highlight that metallurgists account for about 40% of the cargo base of Ukrzaliznytsia.
This is reported by Finway
“The cost of logistics and energy resources directly affects our ability to export this product or become uncompetitive,” he remarked.
If Ukrzaliznytsia raises its freight tariffs by 37%, this could result in a GDP decline of ₴96 billion and a reduction in budget revenues of ₴36 billion. At the same time, Ukrzaliznytsia itself could lose up to 15% of its cargo base.
“This is a significant increase for both agrarians and metallurgists. For agrarians, the balancing item is fertilizers: if they have less money, they will spend less on fertilizers. This will lead to a decrease in yield, and consequently, Ukrzaliznytsia will lose cargo,” he emphasized.