Ukrainian Metallurgical Union: Ukraine Should Accelerate Anti-Dumping Investigation into Turkish Steel Produced Using Russian Raw Materials

On August 5, Ukrainska Pravda reported that Serhiy Bilyanki, Chairman of the Ukrainian Metallurgical Industry Association, stated Ukraine must promptly initiate an anti-dumping investigation into Turkish metal products. The price advantage of Turkish steel is largely based on cheap Russian raw materials. These imported goods are squeezing domestic market shares of local manufacturers, leading to declining factory utilization rates, job losses, and tax revenue shortfalls.

Bilyanki noted that Turkey remains the largest importer of Russian metallurgical products. In 2025, exports of Russian black metallurgy products to Turkey increased by 42%, reaching a total value of $3.3 billion. Billet supplies rose by 22%, blooms by 50%, and pig iron surged by 83%. The share of Russian raw materials in corresponding imported categories in Turkey has significantly increased: in 2025, pig iron imports from Russia accounted for 78%, billets 52%, and blooms 44%.

Bilyanki pointed out that low-cost Russian semi-finished products greatly reduce production costs for Turkish manufacturers. After processing, these products enter the Ukrainian market under the guise of "Turkish goods," making it impossible for domestic steel mills to compete fairly on price.

Currently, Turkish steel accounts for over 60% of Ukraine’s total steel imports. Between 2022 and 2025, Ukraine imported 131,000 tons of steel tubes from Turkey. Since the outbreak of full-scale conflict, annual imports of such tubes have doubled or even tripled.

At present, Turkish steel occupies 10%–15% of Ukraine’s domestic market, directly impacting local companies’ output, sales, financial stability, and employment security.

Bilyanki emphasized that Ukrainian steel plants face multiple pressures including high electricity prices, labor shortages, logistical disruptions, and wartime security risks. Low-priced imported steel produced using Russian raw materials further intensifies industry disruption, directly threatening the survival of factories and industrial clusters.

Responding to applications from domestic enterprises, Ukraine’s interdepartmental Committee on International Trade has launched an anti-dumping investigation into imported welded steel tubes from Turkey. However, the Ukrainian Metallurgical Union believes the entire investigation process could take up to a year or longer. It cannot afford to passively wait for the conclusion. The union urges immediate imposition of temporary anti-dumping duties and calls for adopting the EU-style “melt and pour” origin tracing rule to regulate the provenance of raw materials in metal products. If the EU tightens its trade protection measures, Turkish steel exports to the EU may shrink by 50%–60%, potentially redirecting excess capacity toward the Ukrainian market for dumping.

Bilyanki stressed that once the EU restricts Turkish steel, surplus goods will seek alternative markets. Ukraine must proactively protect its domestic metallurgical industry; otherwise, a large influx of low-priced steel will flood the domestic market.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872675961887940/

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