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Ukraine’s H1-2025 Trade Balance: Imports Triple Exports, Topping $58.3 B

by Roman Cheplyk
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
2 MIN
Ukraine’s H1-2025 Trade Balance: Imports Triple Exports, Topping $58.3 B

China, Poland, and Germany lead import roster as machinery dominates inbound flow

1. Headline Numbers

Metric Jan-Jun 2025 YoY Trend*
Total trade turnover $58.3 B ↑ 8 %
Imports $38.3 B ↑ 10 %
Exports $20.0 B ↓ 2 %
Import–export ratio 1 : 3

*Estimated relative to Jan-Jun 2024


2. Import Breakdown

Top Source Countries

Rank Country Value ($ B)
1 China 8.2
2 Poland 3.5
3 Germany 3.2

Leading Import Categories

Category Value ($ B) Share of Customs Revenue
Machinery, equipment & vehicles 14.8 29 %
Chemicals 6.2 15 %
Fuel & energy products 4.9 27 %
  • Taxable imports: $28.9 B (76 % of total)

  • Average duty per kg: $0.52


3. Export Breakdown

Top Destination Countries

Rank Country Value ($ B)
1 Poland 2.4
2 Turkey 1.7
3 Italy 1.2

Leading Export Categories

Category Value ($ B)
Food & agri products 11.2
Metals & metal products 2.3
Machinery & transport equipment 1.9
  • Export customs duties collected: ₴137.6 M


4. Key Insights & Implications

  1. Persistent Trade Gap

    • Imports exceed exports by $18.3 B, underscoring Ukraine’s heavy reliance on foreign machinery, energy, and consumer goods.

  2. China’s Dominance Continues

    • At $8.2 B, Chinese imports account for 21 % of total inbound goods—largely electronics, machinery, and consumer products.

  3. Machinery Drives Customs Revenue

    • Nearly one-third of customs income originates from machinery, equipment, and vehicles, reflecting high unit values and tariff levels.

  4. Agricultural Exports Cushion Deficit

    • Despite war-time logistics challenges, food commodities still contribute over half of export earnings.

  5. Policy Watch

    • Government may tighten import substitution measures or offer export incentives to rebalance the ledger, especially in high-value manufacturing.

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