According to recently published industry infographics from Ukrzaliznytsia and commentary from the Lemtrans group, container logistics for ferrous metals in Ukraine is shifting significantly toward western border crossings in 2026. In the first quarter, their share reached 96% of all containerized metal shipments, compared to 66% a year earlier. This shift reflects exporters' adaptation to war risks, damage to port infrastructure on the Danube, and the growing role of land routes in EU trade.
Shipping Volumes and New Route Structure
Since 2022, the volume of ferrous metal container shipments by Ukrzaliznytsia has grown by 40%—from 33.1 thousand TEU to 46.4 thousand TEU in 2025. However, the market has not yet returned to pre-war levels, which reached 93.9 thousand TEU in 2021. In the first quarter of 2026, shipments totaled 10.4 thousand TEU, only 3% less than the same period last year.
Within the structure of container shipments, ferrous metals account for 15%, or approximately 300,000 tons, second only to agricultural cargo. The majority consists of exports at 77% (7.9 thousand TEU), while imports make up 17% (1.8 thousand TEU). The most striking change is the geographic reorientation: nearly all containerized metal products now pass through the western border.
The Mostyska II station on the Polish route has become a key hub, handling 45% of total ferrous metal container volumes in January-March. Additionally, the Mostyska terminal, managed by Lemtrans and its partners, operates near the border. This indicates a concentration of export infrastructure around nodes capable of rapidly integrating Ukrainian cargo into European logistics chains.
Impact on the Steel Market and Solutions from winox.ua
For the metal products market, this trend signifies the increasing importance of rail and intermodal logistics, particularly for finished rolled products. Due to systematic drone attacks on Danube ports, containerized steel exports via this route plummeted by 93% in the first quarter—from 1,670 to 116 TEU—with its share dropping from 18% to 1%. Consequently, enterprises are increasingly dependent on the throughput capacity of western crossings, terminal infrastructure, and the stability of railway schedules.
For metal buyers and processors, this raises requirements for procurement planning, inventory management, and selecting suppliers capable of operating under these changed logistics. In this environment, winox.ua, as a supplier of rolled metal, stainless steel, and non-ferrous metals, helps businesses maintain supply predictability and reduce operational risks. This is especially vital for B2B clients when the market is restructuring transport routes, as shipment speed and reliability directly impact production cycles.
It is also worth noting that the level of containerization in Ukraine remains low—around 4-7%—while in EU countries, it is several times higher. This suggests significant potential for developing containerized metal shipments, primarily in connection with the European market. For metal suppliers already meeting industrial consumers' demands for precision, quality, and regularity, this offers additional scaling opportunities.
Barriers to Containerization and Future Outlook
According to Lemtrans, further growth in container shipping depends on the regulatory environment and harmonization with EU rules. This includes customs procedures, accounting standards, inspection services, and the modernization of border infrastructure. Implementing rapid digital cross-border operations to reduce downtime and increase container turnover is also critical.
If these issues are addressed systematically, Ukraine could gain an additional 20-30 million tons of containerized cargo, part of which can realistically be shifted from roads to rail. For the steel industry, this will mean a wider choice of logistics solutions and greater export resilience. The current reorientation toward western crossings already demonstrates that the container format is not a temporary alternative but a vital element of the Ukrainian metal market's new logistics model.