Poland is once again demanding a nearly 50% reduction in imports of Ukrainian cement.

The Polish Cement Producers Association (SPC) is asking the EC to restrict imports of Ukrainian cement under the EU trade agreement with Ukraine. The proposed quota for Ukrainian cement is set at 360,000 tons, which reflects the average value from the last three years. This amount is nearly 50% less than the volume of cement exported to Poland last year.

Polish imports of Ukrainian cement surged by almost 3,000% from 2019 to 2024, exceeding 650,000 tons in 2024; growth since 2022 has surpassed 500%. Supply forecasts for this year anticipate shipments of over one million tons.

The SPC emphasizes that Polish and European cement producers are obligated to pay for CO2 emissions, while producers from outside the EU, particularly those from Ukraine, are not subject to such costs. Overall, Ukraine exported over 1.7 million tons of cement to the EU last year. Back in April 2024, the SPC raised concerns about a sharp increase in Ukrainian imports amid declining production in the country.

However, according to the Ukrcement association, Ukrainian cement exports to the Polish market only partially replace Belarusian exports to Poland and account for only up to 4% of Polish production.