Russia, Ukraine, and Pig Iron Supply

Pig iron is a critical input that is derived from iron ore (the primary raw material of steel) and is used by steel mills to produce finished steel. A large and growing segment of the U.S. steel industry that produces steel from scrap is heavily reliant on imported pig iron. The recent conflict in Ukraine which began with the Russian invasion in late February 2022 is having an impact on pig iron supply chains, as Russia and Ukraine are the world’s largest sellers of “merchant” pig iron and, in recent years, the U.S. steel industry is the world’s leading consumer. This briefing examinesthe impact of the conflict on trade and the U.S. steel mills that will most likely need to look to alternative sources of pig iron as the conflict continues.