Since the beginning of the year 34,800 tons of bitumen have been imported into Ukraine, which is almost 500% more than in the same period last year. However, this is nearly 85% less compared to January-May 2021. According to estimates, in May Ukrainian companies increased the volume of bitumen imports by 60%, up to 15,500 tons.
Experts explain the import growth as a seasonal increase for road and construction works. Almost the entire amount of bitumen, 88%, was imported from Poland, and the rest was imported from Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
At the same time, the largest supplier of bitumen to Ukraine, the Polish company PKN Orlen, plans to limit its export to meet the needs of its domestic market. Ukrainian analysts believe that this may affect the Ukrainian market. However, according to the forecast, the volume of bitumen consumption in Ukraine this year will be low due to decreased funding for the highway development program.