Return of Trump's 25% steel tariff hurts Interpipe, U.S. clients amid pipe shortage

Ukrainian industrial group Interpipe is raising concerns over former U.S. President Donald Trump's reinstatement of a 25% tariff on steel imports, a move that impacts not only the company but also American customers amid a domestic pipe shortage.

"Our threaded connections are very popular on the U.S. market. Our R&D team is currently finalizing a new product specifically tailored to the needs of our growing customer base there. So these tariffs are definitely a negative development for us," said Denys Morozov, First Deputy CEO of Interpipe, during the Business Wisdom Summit 2025.

According to him, the U.S. tariffs put production at Interpipe Niko Tube in Nikopol at risk. The city has been officially designated as a combat zone and faces daily shelling by Russian forces. "We are caught in a vice grip – on one side, relentless shelling by the Russians, and on the other, Trump's tariffs," he said.

"Yet our people continue to work and produce goods, including for the U.S. and EU markets. The resilience of Ukrainians is truly astonishing," Morozov added.

He emphasized that despite the threat of tariffs and quotas, Interpipe still sees opportunities for retaining and growing its market share in the U.S. and Europe. First, the company's focus on R&D plays a key role: developing, mastering, and producing new types of pipe products. Over the three years of tariff-free trade with the EU, Interpipe invested heavily and developed around 250 new product types.

"Interpipe must continue developing and offering products that our competitors don't make," he said.

Second, the company plans to continue investing. "For example, we've built a new $40 million heat treatment facility in Nikopol, allowing us to offer new, higher value-added products to our U.S. customers," Morozov said.

Interpipe is a Ukrainian industrial company specializing in steel pipe and railway product manufacturing. Its products are distributed in over 50 countries via a network of trade offices in key markets across the Middle East, North America, and Europe. The company contributed UAH 5.5 billion in taxes to all levels of the Ukrainian budget in 2024.

The ultimate owner of Interpipe Limited is Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk and his family.