In 2024, Ukrainian sugar producers set a historical record for sugar exports, exporting 746.3 thousand tons of the product to foreign markets for $419 million, the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine (Ukrtsukor) reported.
“This is the highest figure for sugar exports within a calendar year according to statistics dating back to 1997, when the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine was established,” the industry association said.
Ukrtsukr added that 40% of exports in 2024 were directed to the European Union, 60% were supplies to the world market, where the main buyers of Ukrainian sugar were MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and North Macedonia.
In 2025, Ukraine exported goods worth $41.627 billion, up $5.44 billion, or 15%, compared to 2023, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka said.
“In terms of weight, exports amounted to 131.179 million tons. This is 30.8 million tons more, which means an increase of 30.8%. Imports also increased by 8.6% to $69 billion,” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
Kachka specified that imports of electricity increased by 333% to $669 million, batteries by 103% to $950 million, transformers by 108% to $596 million, and UAVs by 77% to $1.2 billion.
“The top imports are petroleum products ($6.8 billion) and “miscellaneous” ($4.5 billion), which are directly related to war and defense. So energy challenges and defense are the main drivers of imports. The drivers are not at all inelastic. A significant reduction in the trade deficit is directly related to the development of the defense industry and the restoration of energy infrastructure,” the trade representative emphasized.
Regarding exports, Kachka noted that due to the opening of navigation in ports, iron ore became the leader in terms of exports – 33.6 million tons, which is 89% more compared to 2023, and in monetary terms, the growth was 58% – up to $ 2.8 billion.
According to him, the second position in terms of volume was taken by corn – 29 million tons, which is 12.3% more than in 2023, but in monetary terms the increase was only 2.3%, up to $5.07 billion.
The Trade Representative emphasized that the situation is the opposite in poultry exports: in physical terms, it increased by only 5.6% to 448.4 thousand tons, but in monetary terms – by 20% to $961 million.
“Among the goods whose exports amounted to more than a billion dollars, I would like to emphasize cable products, whose exports increased by 60% to $1.27 billion,” added Kachka.
According to his data, the growth in export revenues for key metallurgical products was 52% for semi-finished products to $927 million, 38.9% for hot-rolled products to $809 million, 125% for pipes to $590 million, 6.1% for pig iron to $500 million and 19.3% for bars to $156 million.
“Confectionery is a certain indicator of the food processing industry’s performance. There is a 38% increase in revenue from chocolate ($264 million), 26.9% growth for biscuits ($269 million), 15.6% for candy without chocolate ($215 million),” the trade representative also wrote.
In timber processing, he drew attention to the fact that the export of boards (sawn timber) decreased in volume, but still remained above 1 million tons, and in revenue – by 1.2%, to $400.9 million, but glued plywood was exported by 95% more – $125.3 million.
“There are also good indicators in the consumer goods sector. Exports of suits, sets, jackets, trousers, overalls for men amounted to $99 million. This is 646% … more than in 2023. Exports of suits, sets, jackets, dresses, skirts for women amounted to $71.3 million, which is 114.2% growth,” Kachka wrote.
According to him, geographically, Ukrainian exports are becoming more and more EU-centric: exports to the EU grew by 5.9% to $24.7 billion. The top five EU members in terms of exports were Poland ($4.7 billion), Spain ($2.8 billion), Germany ($2.8 billion), the Netherlands ($1.98 billion), and Italy ($1.93 billion). At the same time, exports to Germany grew by 40.5%, while exports to Poland decreased by 1.1%, the trade representative said.
“In general, trade with Poland is declining, as Ukraine imported 6.8% less from it than in 2023. At the same time, Poland continues to be the leader in the supply of goods from the EU – $6.8 billion out of $34.3 billion of total imports from the EU,” Kachka stated.
He noted that trade with Turkey is also declining – by 7.2% in exports and 13.5% in imports.
According to him, imports from China are growing at a significant pace: last year they increased by 37.4% to $14.3 billion.
“And this is the main area of turbulence in our trade policy, because trade with China may undergo radical changes due to the expected measures of the new US administration, which will go viral and lead to the recalibration of tariff rates within the WTO. If the US states that it has the right to revise its tariff rates, Ukraine has even more rights to do so, as we joined the WTO on the basis of unfulfilled expectations of lowering tariffs by other WTO member states,” Kachka emphasized.
Ukraine exports more than $400m worth of products to Lebanon, although the potential is $1bn, the supplies of cattle, meat and dairy products are promising, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaliy Koval said after a visit to Lebanon and a meeting with businessmen.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food noted that Koval met with Lebanese businessmen – representatives of more than 12 companies involved in imports: flour millers, traders, entrepreneurs who buy food products, meat and cereals from Ukraine.
According to the Minister, Lebanese businessmen import tens of thousands of tons of cattle. They have recently started importing sheep to Lebanon. It is these areas of cattle breeding because of the shortage of meat can be promising for Ukrainian agrarians.
“Today we export more than $400 million worth of products to Lebanon, although the potential is $1 billion. That is why the task of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy is to increase imports of our products to Lebanon. I discussed with their businesses what should be done to increase trade turnover. Lebanese businessmen noted some bureaucratic moments and logistical problems. Now I clearly understand what needs to be simplified in procedures. Lebanon is an important trade partner for us, so we will work on developing our relations further,” Koval emphasized.
The Minister drew attention to the fact that the Ukrainian community is very active in Lebanon. During the meeting with its representatives, the Ukrainian delegation discussed the logistic communication with Ukraine and the increase of domestic products in Lebanese stores.
Koval urged the diaspora to be ambassadors of Ukraine: to popularize Ukrainian products and emphasize their quality.
Ukraine exported $41 billion worth of goods in 2024, up 13.4%, or $4.94 billion, compared to last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko said.
“Of course, the result is primarily due to the normalization of the work of Ukraine’s seaports. We have exported 87.2 million tons by sea, and 54.8 million tons in 2023. In total, exports have already reached 129.2 million tons by weight, compared to 100.3 million tons in 2023. An increase of 28.8%,” she wrote on her Facebook page on Monday.
According to her, the transportation of goods has changed not only quantitatively but also qualitatively: Ukraine exported significantly less by road than last year – 7.6 million tons against 12 million tons last year.
She noted that the value of goods transported by road amounted to more than $14.5 billion, compared to $13.9 billion last year.
“This year was also memorable for the fact that we worked hard with our neighbors to remove unjustified blockades at the border. Thanks to a dialogue involving Polish and Ukrainian associations, we managed to ease the tension and return to a more familiar format of dialogue on trade development with neighboring countries and the EU as a whole,” the minister emphasized.
According to Svyrydenko, the development of trade with the EU is extremely important. First of all, despite all the difficulties on the land border with the EU, this year’s exports to the EU are already $1.2 billion more than in 2023 ($24.5 billion versus $23.3 billion in 2023), which is 59% of Ukrainian exports.
In addition, 49.8% of all imports to Ukraine are goods from the EU, and 73% of imports are brought to Ukraine by road, i.e. across the border with the EU.
The Ukraine Facility has already adopted a Border Infrastructure Development Strategy and a Transport Strategy.
“Thus, more than half of our trade is regulated by the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Therefore, it is important for us to realize all the possibilities of the Agreement and to make it meet the realities of our time,” Svyrydenko explained.
She clarified that in November this year, Ukraine sent an official request to the EU to apply the internal market regime for roaming services under the Association Agreement.
“This means full legal integration into the EU’s internal market even before the opening of accession negotiations under the relevant section. By the way, only Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have achieved such a regime outside the EU, and Switzerland still cannot boast of progress in this regard. By the way, we have also updated the free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and next year our agricultural exporters will have better access to the markets of all four countries,” the First Deputy Prime Minister stated.
Svyrydenko explained that due to this, in the first months of next year, the Ministry of Economy will try to find a solution to access the EU market for sensitive agricultural products, of which there are seven: corn, cereals, bran, honey, sugar, eggs and poultry.
Outside of the EU, Ukraine’s key trading partners are China ($2.3 billion), Turkey ($2.1 billion), Egypt ($1.6 billion), India ($986 million), Moldova ($935 million), and the United States ($935 million).
Traditionally, corn ($4.9 billion), wheat ($3.68 billion), iron ore ($2.75 billion), and soybeans ($1.29 billion) are the top exports.
According to Svyrydenko, the largest export commodity was a processed product – sunflower oil – worth $5.073 billion.
The First Vice Prime Minister added that Ukraine also exported soybean oil for $311 million, rapeseed oil for $238 million, sunflower meal for $1.006 billion, and soybean meal for $311 million this year.
“In agricultural processing, we are also pleased with the performance of sugar producers – 724 thousand tons of exports worth $408 million and poultry producers – 440 thousand tons worth $945 million. This is despite the fact that the EU has imposed rather strict restrictions on the export of these products compared to last year. We are now global exporters of these products, and this is good news,” she stated.
Svyrydenko also summarized that metallurgical exports are reviving, as Ukraine exported $927.5 million worth of semi-finished iron products, $802 million worth of hot-rolled steel, $500 million worth of pig iron, and $577 million worth of pipes.
As of December 27, Ukraine exported 21.256 mln tonnes of grains and pulses since the beginning of the 2024-2025 marketing year (July-2024 – June-2025), of which 2.882 mln tonnes have been shipped since the beginning of the current month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported, citing the State Customs Service.
According to the report, as of the same date last year, the total shipments amounted to 17.484 million tons, including 4.387 million tons in December.
In particular, since the beginning of the current season, Ukraine has exported 9.613 mln tonnes of wheat (7.255 mln tonnes in 2023/24 MY), 1.968 mln tonnes of barley (991 thsd tonnes), 10.8 thsd tonnes of rye (1 thsd tonnes), and 9.351 mln tonnes of corn (9.097 mln tonnes).
The total exports of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of December 27 are estimated at 37 thsd tonnes (in 2023/24 MY – 57 thsd tonnes), including 33.9 thsd tonnes of wheat (54.2 thsd tonnes).
In January-November 2024, Ukraine increased imports of nickel and nickel products by 64.8% to $23.672 million. Nickel exports during this period amounted to only $585 thousand, which is 15% more than in the same period last year.
Nickel is used to make stainless steel and for nickel plating. Nickel is also used in the production of batteries, in powder metallurgy and in chemicals.
