Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Ukraine opened 19 new markets for agricultural exports in 2025

In 2025, Ukraine opened 19 new markets for the export of agricultural products of animal and plant origin, significantly expanding the geography of the international presence of Ukrainian producers, said Serhiy Tkachuk, head of the State Food and Consumer Service, on Facebook.

He noted that this was achieved thanks to the coordinated work of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, and Ukraine’s diplomatic missions abroad.

“Over the course of the year, access to Ukrainian products to the markets of North America, Asia, the Balkan region, and the Middle East has been expanded. In particular, new markets for feed and non-food products of animal origin have been opened in Moldova, Turkey, Chile, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Vietnam,” Tkachuk explained.

He added that this includes canned and processed pet food, milk and non-food dairy products, bone meat, feather meal, fats, and processed animal protein.

In addition, eggs and egg products also demonstrated high export potential in 2025, with markets opened for egg exports to Albania and Canada, as well as egg products to Malaysia. The geography of milk and dairy product exports has been expanded, with Ukrainian products gaining access to the Malaysian market.

At the same time, Ukrainian poultry products confirmed their compliance with international requirements: the Sultanate of Oman market was opened for the export of meat and poultry products, as well as the Georgian market for composite products made from poultry meat and dairy ingredients, ready for consumption.

Tkachuk recalled that in 2025, Ukraine expanded its presence in Asian markets. In particular, access to the Chinese market was opened for fish products — wild-caught aquatic products and certain categories of aquatic biological resources — and the Kuwaiti market for processed food products.

Along with animal products, Ukrainian producers of plant products also gained new opportunities, in particular, the Chinese market was opened for the export of peas and the Canadian market for Ukrainian apples.

“The opening of 19 new markets in 2025 is not just an economic indicator. It is confirmation of the effectiveness of state control, proper epizootic and phytosanitary supervision, as well as the trust of international partners in the Ukrainian safety and quality system,” summarized the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

NBU fines International Investment Bank UAH 14.5 mln

In December 2025, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) imposed sanctions on the International Investment Bank (IIB), imposing fines totaling UAH 14.5 million for violations of the law.

According to the regulator, UAH 13.5 million of the fine was imposed for improper organization and conduct of initial financial monitoring, and another UAH 1.0 million for violating currency supervision requirements. In addition, the NBU issued a written warning to the bank for the untimely automation of the preparation of standard responses to requests from the regulator.

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Imported cheeses from EU putting pressure on Ukrainian producers even in pre-New Year season

Ukrainian cheese producers are ending the year without the expected pre-holiday sales boost, although consumption traditionally increases in December, with more and more buyers preferring European cheeses because of their lower price, according to the industry analytical agency Infagro.

Analysts noted that the supply of inexpensive imported cheese on the Ukrainian market increased significantly at the end of 2025. Already, according to estimates, a significant share of semi-hard cheese sales comes from EU products, and this trend is likely to intensify.

“Sales of domestic products were supported mainly by active promotions, which had a negative impact on margins. Anticipating weaker demand in January, producers reduced production volumes at the end of the year, and at the end of the year, the output of hard and semi-hard cheeses decreased compared to last year,” experts noted.

According to their information, market participants do not expect a decline in imports next year, as European cheese remains competitive in terms of price. Even during promotions, Ukrainian cheeses are often more expensive than their imported counterparts, forcing manufacturers to either offer deep discounts or reduce production.

“Exports remain an alternative to the domestic market for some producers, where price conditions are more attractive,” analysts said.

Infagro emphasized that the processed cheese market remains relatively stable, without sharp fluctuations in demand or production, making it one of the few balanced niches in the cheese segment.

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Ukraine’s agricultural exports fell by 8.8% in 2025 to $22.5 bln

According to the results of 2025, Ukraine exported agricultural products worth $22.53 billion, which is 8.8%, or $2.15 billion, less than the previous year, according to the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UAC).

The association noted that despite the decrease in foreign exchange earnings, the share of the agro-industrial complex in the overall structure of goods exports in 2025 was 56.1%.

“Although this percentage has declined slightly compared to the record year of 2023, when agricultural products accounted for 61% of total exports, the industry continues to generate more than half of the country’s foreign trade revenues,” analysts emphasized.

The most noticeable trend was a reduction in agricultural exports to the European Union. While in 2022-2024 the EU’s share in the structure of Ukrainian agricultural exports consistently exceeded 50%, in 2025 it fell to 47.5% ($10.7 billion), according to statistics.

Some of the factors influencing this are changes in logistics routes and tighter regulatory restrictions on the European market. There has also been a general decline in trade dynamics, namely: the balance with the EU fell to $6.06 billion compared to $8.87 billion in 2024, analysts noted.

They emphasized that against the backdrop of declining export revenues, there is a reverse trend in the import segment. In 2025, purchases of foreign agricultural products rose to a record $8.75 billion over the past five years.

“Although the share of agricultural products in Ukraine’s total imports has remained stable over the past four years at around 10.8%, in absolute terms, spending on food imports is growing every year. At the same time, in 2025, more than 53% of all agricultural imports ($4.64 billion) came from European Union countries, which underscores the deep integration of Ukraine’s consumer market with the European market,” the UACB concluded.

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Ukraine’s IT sector generates average of $543 million monthly

The IT sector brought $5.97 billion to the state treasury in 11 months of 2025, according to the National Bank of Ukraine. The amount increased slightly over the year, by just over 2%.

Ukraine has earned $5.97 billion from the export of IT services for the first half of 2025. This is 2.4% more than in the same period in 2024. However, it is impossible to say that IT is in its heyday: it is still 3% less than in 2021 and almost 10% less than in the peak year of 2022.

It is worth noting that monthly exports of IT services bring in an average of $543 million. For comparison, the average monthly figure was $612 million in 2022.

Currently, IT services account for 42% of all service exports. Compared to the country’s total exports (both goods and services), IT accounts for 12% of the total.

At the same time, exports of services decreased by 9% to $14.33 billion over the year. Total exports of goods and services also decreased by 5% to $49.21 billion.

https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/it-export-25

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Mykolaiv region purchases 40 Ataman school buses

The municipal institution “Center for Financial and Statistical Monitoring, Material and Technical and Information Support of Educational Institutions” of the Mykolaiv Regional Council will purchase 40 Ataman school buses manufactured by the Cherkasy Bus plant by June 1 of this year for UAH 147.83 million, compared to the expected purchase price of UAH 148.36 million.

According to a report in Prozorro, the city council signed the relevant agreement with Isuzu-Ataman Ukraine JSC on December 31 following the results of a tender in which the company was the only participant.

In particular, 39 regular school buses will be purchased for UAH 143.91 million (including VAT), at a price of UAH 3.69 million per bus, and one bus with two seats for schoolchildren with limited mobility will be purchased for UAH 3.92 million.

Full payment is expected within 10 banking days.

Isuzu-Ataman Ukraine will supply buses manufactured in 2025 that meet Euro 5 environmental standards, with 28 seats for schoolchildren and three for accompanying persons and crew members. The degree of localization is 68.8%.

The specialized bus has 21 seats for schoolchildren, including two for children with limited mobility, as well as two seats for accompanying persons. The degree of localization is almost 71%.

According to YouControl, PJSC Isuzu-Ataman Ukraine, which, among other things, trades in Isuzu and Ataman vehicles, received UAH 49.2 million in net profit in January-September 2025, which is 56% more than in the same period in 2024, and its net income increased 2.4 times to UAH 408 million.

As reported, the state budget subsidy for the purchase of school buses next year is UAH 2 billion, compared to UAH 1.6 billion in 2025.

According to the Ministry of Economy, the Mykolaiv region purchased 25 buses last year. The subsidy from the state budget for the region amounted to UAH 23.54 million.

Since 2024, the School Bus program has been implemented thanks to financial cooperation between the EU and Ukraine within the framework of the Ukraine Facility instrument. In particular, school buses must have seats for students with limited mobility.

The required level of localization in 2026 is at least 30%.

According to preliminary data, 720 school buses were implemented in 2025 with state subsidies and co-financing from local communities.

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