Ukraine reduced its total iron ore exports by 4.9% in January-November 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, exporting 28.77 million tons of this raw material. Despite the overall decline in volumes, shipments of iron ore to the key market – China – significantly increased.
This is reported by Finway
Shipments to China Increased Sharply
China remains the main consumer of Ukrainian iron ore. During the specified period in 2025, 15.29 million tons of ore were exported to China, which is 17.3% more than in the same period last year. At the same time, shipments to Slovakia decreased by 8.3% – to 4.08 million tons, and to Poland – by 16.7%, reaching 3.91 million tons.
The total revenue from iron ore exports amounted to $2.18 billion, which is 14% less compared to 2024.
Positions in the Turkish Market
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, Ukraine maintained its position among the top five largest suppliers of iron ore to Turkey, although the volumes of shipments significantly decreased. In the first 10 months of 2025, Turkish companies imported 487.9 thousand tons of Ukrainian ore, while in 2024 this figure exceeded 1.09 million tons.
“Despite a significant reduction in shipments, Ukraine maintained its position among the top five largest suppliers of iron ore to Turkey in January-October 2025.”
At the same time, the total iron ore import to Turkey in 2025 decreased by 5%, amounting to 8.37 million tons.