EU Iron and Steel Imports from Russia Plunged in Jan–Aug 2026

Steel News  |  2026-10-14 05:36:11   |   By

The EU’s import quota for Russian slabs was effectively exhausted within the first four months of 2026.

Summary
  • EU imports of Russian iron and steel plunge
    The EU imported 1.6 million tonnes of Russian-origin iron and steel products between January and August 2026, down 55% year-on-year. The total shipment value fell 54% to €682 million, indicating a substantial contraction in trade.
  • Semi-finished steel dominates shipments
    Semi-finished products accounted for 97.8% of total imports, reaching approximately 1.56 million tonnes, down 34% year-on-year. Belgium remained the leading destination with 767,700 tonnes, while Italian imports dropped 65.1% to 191,800 tonnes.
  • Scrap deliveries weaken amid import restrictions
    Russian scrap imports declined 21.3% to 41,300 tonnes during the eight-month period. EU countries reported no imports of Russian pig iron, ferroalloys, iron ore or direct-reduced iron (DRI); the full ban on Russian pig iron and DRI imports took effect on January 1, 2026.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The European Union’s imports of Russian-origin iron and steel products fell sharply during the first eight months of 2026, according to the latest Eurostat data. The region imported 1.6 million tonnes between January and August, down 55% year-on-year, while the shipment value dropped 54% to €682 million.

Semi-finished steel products dominated the trade, accounting for 97.8% of total imports. Import volumes totalled about 1.56 million tonnes, down 34% year-on-year. Import value fell 37% year-on-year to €670 million. Belgium remained the largest destination, receiving 767,700 tonnes, down 10.5%. Italy imported 191,800 tonnes, down sharply by 65.1%.

The EU’s import quota for Russian slabs was effectively exhausted within the first four months of 2026. Under the transitional arrangements, the quota for October 2025–September 2026 was set at 2.998 million tonnes.

Russian scrap deliveries also weakened. Scrap imports totalled 41,300 tonnes in Jan-Aug ‘26, down 21.3% when compared with the corresponding eight-month period in 2025.

EU countries did not import Russian pig iron, ferroalloys, iron ore or direct-reduced iron (DRI) during the reporting period. Incidentally, the full ban on Russian pig iron and DRI imports to the region took effect on January 1, 2026.