In addition to grain, Poland is also against the import of cement from Ukraine.

The Association of Polish Cement Producers complained about the sharp increase in Ukrainian imports. Zbigniew Pilch, head of the association, said supplies from Ukraine increased 350% to 330,000 tonnes in 2023, while Poland’s production fell by 11.9% to 16.6 million tonnes.

“The scale of imports from Ukraine is growing almost every month. In 2023, it was 38%, and in January 2024, it was almost 50% of the total import of this material to Poland. These amounts worry us a lot,” said the market representative.

Pilch emphasized that Ukrainian cement producers are not required to comply with the same climate policies as Polish producers. The association argues that Polish cement producers that invest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions face unequal competition. Pilch also pointed out that the cement market is local, and producers do not transport their product long distances because of the high cost, and this threatens cement producers in eastern Poland.

The SPC writes that Poland’s cement industry expects legislative support in connection with introducing more environmentally friendly technologies, which is the only chance to maintain the industry’s competitiveness.