Turkey holds a leading position in Ukraine’s metal product import market thanks to its competitive pricing.

Following the outbreak of the full-scale Russian war, there has been a substantial increase in Ukraine’s steel imports to compensate for the 40% loss in domestic metallurgical capacity. However, last year Ukraine saw a significant rise in Turkey’s market share.

The proportion of metal product imports from Turkey jumped from 17.8% in the pre-war year of 2021 to 51.5% in 2024, with projections suggesting it could exceed 60% this year. An agreement on the Free Trade Zone between Ukraine and Turkey is expected to elevate trade turnover to $10B, up from $6.4B last year. Additionally, if there is a significant increase in Turkish imports the agreement allows for the implementation of anti-dumping measures.

The primary advantage of Turkish rolled metal is its price, which can be 20% lower than European alternatives. Turkey’s lack of restrictions on Russian products enables its companies to import Russian raw materials and semi-finished products, further reducing production costs. As a result, Ukraine might also consider a mechanism to impose trade restrictions on goods made with Russian raw materials, similar to what Europe has done.