The volumes of Ukrainian cement exports to the Polish market have significantly increased during the full-scale invasion of Russia; however, they still only partially replace exports to Poland from Belarus and account for up to 4% of Poland's production volume, reported the "Ukrcement" association.
"Before the war, Belarus was the main exporter of cement to Poland. According to Polish sources, total exports from Belarus to Poland exceeded 1 million tons of cement. With the onset of the full-scale war, the situation changed radically: exports from Belarus ceased. In this context, there was a partial replacement of Belarusian cement with Ukrainian cement," the "Ukrcement" association told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the association, prior to the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian cement exports accounted for 0.2-0.3% of Poland's production volumes: in 2021, 53,400 tons of cement were exported to Poland.
"In fact, the export-import activities of producers from both countries were purely symbolic in the border area between Ukraine and Poland, where logistics dictated consumer choices," the association explained.
At the same time, after the start of the full-scale war, export volumes to Poland increased significantly: to 111,000 tons in 2022 and to 333,300 tons in 2023. This is also due to a significant reduction in cement consumption in the domestic Ukrainian market—from 10.5 million tons in 2021 to 6.1 million tons in 2023, noted the association.
"If we compare the cement export figures from Ukraine during the war, as stated by the Polish side, with the production volumes in Poland, we get a figure that does not exceed 4%. Is this indicator really such a destructive factor for cement producers in Poland?" "Ukrcement" points out.
The association also noted that the cost of Ukrainian cement is distorted by operating under conditions of frequent power outages, labor shortages, logistical challenges, and the constant threat of drone and missile attacks from the aggressor across the entire territory of Ukraine.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian cement industry is working on reducing CO2 emissions during production, including the implementation of BAT (Best Available Techniques) and MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) for emissions.
"Given the significant decline in cement consumption in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, exports have become a substantial support for our producers. This has helped sustain the country's economy and meet the needs of the military and territorial communities. We believe that we will return to normal working conditions, (...) and the cement market will recover, ensuring that the needs of the construction sector are fully met," emphasized "Ukrcement."
Earlier, the Polish publication Puls Biznesu revealed material about unfair competition faced by Ukrainian producers in the Polish cement market due to the absence of limitations from the European Union's climate policy. The Polish Cement Producers Association has proposed to limit the duty-free import of Ukrainian cement to the levels of the past three years, as indicated in the article.