The Polish Cement Producers Association (SPC) has appealed to the European Commission with a demand to halve the quotas for cement imports from Ukraine. Instead of the current volumes, they propose to set an annual limit of 360 thousand tons.

The SPC justifies this proposal by a sharp increase in Ukrainian cement imports in 2024. In the first months of the year alone, more than 650 thousand tons have already been imported to Poland, and by the end of the year, the mark of 1 million tons is expected to be exceeded. Thus, the proposed quotas are less than half of the projected supply volume.

Representatives of Polish cement companies see this situation as a serious threat to the domestic market. SPC board member Włodzimierz Choluy emphasized that Polish companies are forced to compete with cheaper Ukrainian products under conditions that they consider unfair. This problem is especially acute in the border regions - the Podkarpacie and Lublin voivodeships.

One of the main reasons for the price advantage of Ukrainian cement is the absence of a mandatory payment mechanism for CO₂ emissions in Ukraine. Such a system is in place in the European Union countries, and it significantly affects the cost of production, making it more expensive compared to Ukrainian.

In this regard, the SPC demands not only the immediate introduction of import quotas, but also a review of the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) mechanism - the future EU instrument for adjusting the cost of imports depending on the carbon footprint. This mechanism is planned to be fully implemented from 2026, but Polish manufacturers insist on the need to strengthen regulation now.

In total, in 2024, Ukraine exported more than 1.7 million tons of cement to the European Union countries, and Poland is one of the key destinations for this export. The dispute over restrictions indicates a sharpening of interests between economic support for Ukraine and protection of the EU's internal market.