Ukrainian steelmaker loses EU market
05:29
The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which applies a carbon price to imported steel and other energy-intensive goods, is squeezing Ukrainian industrial exports in ways that have direct implications for Polish business. ArcelorMittal's Kryvyi Rih plant — Ukraine's largest steel producer — reported that its EU exports fell by 300,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2026 after buyers refused to pay the additional 50–75 euros per tonne in CBAM charges.
The facility is now running at half capacity, and one of its long-standing processing lines has been permanently shut for the first time since 1958. Ukrainian trade media describe it as a "carbon shock." The development matters for Poland because Kryvyi Rih steel has historically competed with — and complemented — Polish construction supply chains. Polish steel distributors will likely face tighter supply and higher input costs as a consequence, even as Polish firms are signing reconstruction contracts in Ukraine.
Source: money.pl
