Poland’s cement industry is currently grappling with a series of significant economic hurdles characterised by a downturn in domestic production and a sharp increase in competition from international markets. Market forecasts suggest that output will experience a two per cent YoY decline by 2026, bringing the total volume down to 16.8Mt. This contraction is being exacerbated by a surge in imports, which are projected to surpass 2Mt. Much of this influx is originating from Ukraine, where manufacturers benefit from significantly lower operational and environmental overheads compared to their Polish counterparts.
Industry executives have expressed deep concern over what they describe as an increasingly uneven playing field. While Polish factories must adhere to strict European Union climate regulations, non-EU producers are not subject to the same carbon pricing schemes, allowing them to supply the market at much lower prices. Currently, energy expenditures represent more than 35 per cent of total production costs for domestic plants. This financial burden is expected to intensify as carbon dioxide emission prices are predicted to climb as high as EUR123/t to 150/t by the end of the decade.
Despite these mounting fiscal pressures, the cement sector remains a vital pillar of the national economy, serving as a fundamental resource for critical infrastructure development and national defence initiatives. To ensure the long-term viability of the industry, sector leaders are urging the government and European authorities to implement more robust protective measures. Their demands include direct support for stabilising energy costs, the introduction of tighter carbon border adjustment mechanisms, and policies that ensure fair competition against imports from regions with less stringent environmental standards.
