Grain exports by rail to seaports remain stable and account for 91% of total rail shipments of agricultural products, according to analysts at Spike Brokers.
According to monitoring data for February, 1.368 million tons of grain were transported to ports, which is 0.8% more than in the same period last year. The TIS terminal in the port of Chornomorsk showed the most positive dynamics (+54%), while the Danube ports, in particular Izmail, recorded a significant drop in volumes (-60%). Currently, more than 11,000 railcars with grain are moving towards the ports of Greater Odessa, and the average daily load on the network in this direction has increased to 1,172 railcars per day.
“The western corridor actually became the main channel for oil exports by rail in February, and the share of the border in this segment increased to 66%,” analysts noted.
At the same time, road exports of agricultural products in February amounted to 185,000 tons. Geographically, the Polish direction dominates (about 50% of the flow), where 4,000-5,300 tons of cargo are processed daily.
Structurally, the road channel is focused on value-added products: in the first 19 days of the month, 15,600 tons of poultry meat were exported, as well as significant volumes of bakery products (6,400 tons) and confectionery (4,500 tons).
In the oil rail transport segment, there has been a radical shift towards land crossings: cross-border exports increased by 112% to 56.9 thousand tons. The largest increase was recorded at the Chop (+410%) and Mostyska II (+310%) crossings. In contrast, sea exports of oil by rail fell by 36% (to 29.1 thousand tons), and the share of ports in this segment fell to 34%.
A similar trend is observed for meal, where 75% of the volume (113.6 thousand tons) is shipped across land borders, Spike Brokers concluded.
Ukraine’s export logistics entered 2026 in a new configuration, where Ukrzaliznytsia’s transition to a fixed tariff for grain car rental reduced cost volatility, according to the information and analytical agency UkrAgroConsult.
According to analysts, the main cargo flows are currently concentrated in the direction of the ports of Greater Odessa, where terminal utilization has stabilized at 50%. In early February, the number of grain cars heading for ports exceeded 9,000 units, which is associated with the active fulfillment of contracts and the need for working capital for farmers before spring field work.
“The dynamics of grain car traffic demonstrates continued pressure on infrastructure capacity. This situation indicates a resumption of activity by exporters, but at the same time leaves minimal margin for the logistics system,” experts noted.
The agency noted a shift in the competitive balance between modes of transport: railways retain a key role in mass shipments, while road transport is increasing its share due to faster turnover.
“This model of coexistence will become a long-term reality for Ukrainian exports,” UkrAgroConsult predicts.
EXPORTS, GRAIN, LOGISTICS, RAILWAYS, ROAD TRANSPORT, TARIFFS, УЗ
In 2025, Ukraine sharply reduced its exports of titanium-containing ores and concentrates: according to the State Customs Service, shipments fell by 96.2% in physical terms, to 277 tons, and revenues fell by 95.7%, to $496,000.
The most significant change was in geography: Uzbekistan became the key buyer in terms of value with a share of 35.61% (approximately $176,600), followed closely by Turkey with 35.01% (approximately $173,600), followed by Egypt with 29.38% (approximately $145,700). For comparison, in 2024, Turkey remained the main market, while Uzbekistan’s share was not highlighted as key in public statistics.
Imports of titanium-containing ore to Ukraine in 2025 were small — 78 tons worth $118,000, almost entirely from China (about $116,000) and a small portion from Kazakhstan (about $2,000).
In parallel with its position in titanium, Ukraine maintained exports of a group of critical ores and concentrates — niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and zirconium: in 2025, 2,466 tons worth $3.954 million were exported. The main markets were Spain (48.90%, about $1.93 million), Germany (24.53%, about $0.97 million), and Italy (17.19%, about $0.68 million). At the same time, imports of this group to Ukraine amounted to 469 tons worth $1.194 million, with Spain dominating (72.86%).
A special feature of the statistics is the factor of confidentiality and export control. A number of specialized publications and the customs service itself have previously indicated that some transactions involving titanium raw materials may be reflected in more aggregated categories due to restrictions on military and dual-use goods, so public data under code 2614 does not always coincide with industry estimates.
At the beginning of 2026, the trend continued: in January, according to the data provided by the State Customs Service, Ukraine did not export or import titanium-containing ore and concentrate, nor did it export niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and zirconium ores (while there were small imports of this group).
In January 2026, Ukraine reduced exports of beef and cattle amid a seasonal lull, rising logistics costs, and declining demand, according to the Milk Producers Association (MPA), citing data from the State Customs Service.
The industry association noted that live cattle exports in January amounted to about 958 tons, which is 36% less than in December 2025 and 33% less than in January 2025. Foreign exchange earnings in this segment fell to $1.82 million, which is 46% less than in December 2025.
Exports of fresh or chilled beef in January this year decreased by 32% compared to December, to 292 tons, but significantly exceeded the volume of January last year, when it amounted to 21 tons. Revenue for this product in the reporting period amounted to $2.22 million.
The actual volume of frozen beef exports amounted to 966 tons, which is 34% less than in December and 31% less than in January 2025. The monetary proceeds amounted to almost $4.62 million.
“The decline in exports in January is likely due to increased shelling of port infrastructure, which led to higher logistics costs due to risk insurance and route changes. In addition, the market saw a traditional decline in demand at the beginning of the year after active purchases at the end of 2025,” said Georgiy Kukhiashvili, an analyst at the association, whose words are quoted in the report.
According to the UMA, beef imports also declined. In particular, purchases of chilled meat fell to 6 tons (-54% compared to the previous month), and frozen meat to 81 tons (-18%).
The foreign trade balance in January 2026 remained positive and amounted to $7.82 million, the UAA concluded.
Flour exports from Ukraine fell to 66,800 tons in 2025, the lowest level since 2006, according to a report by the Ukrainian Flour Millers Association published by APK-Inform.
According to the data, this figure is 36.6% lower than the pre-war level in 2021 (105,300 tons) and 15.3% lower than the volume in 2022 (78,900 tons).
“The war has practically blocked the opportunity for our flour millers to earn extra money on the international market. Problems with logistics have led to the loss of almost all our usual markets. Only Moldova remains, and there is now an opportunity to export to the European Union, which accounts for more than half of the total volume,” the document notes.
The association emphasized that deliveries are currently carried out exclusively by rail and road transport. At the same time, experts stressed that until Ukrainian ports are opened, there will be no opportunity to compete with other exporters on the world market, nor any hope for growth in foreign trade volumes.
According to the Ukrainian Flour Millers Association, the recorded volume of flour exports of 66.8 thousand tons is the lowest since 2006, when only about 10.5 thousand tons of this product were supplied to foreign markets.
The volume of exports of insulated wires and cables (including fiber optic cables) from Ukraine in January 2026 increased by 8.5% in monetary terms compared to the same month in 2025, reaching $113.2 million.
According to statistics from the State Customs Service, Germany was the largest importer of Ukrainian products, as it was last year, with shipments increasing by 8% to $39 million, while its share of total exports of these products remained almost unchanged at 34.5%.
As in January 2025, the top three importers also included Poland ($18.2 million, 16%) and Hungary ($17.7 million, 15.7%).
At the same time, imports of these products to Ukraine increased by 13.8% to $46.3 million last month.
The largest suppliers of wires and cables to Ukraine in January were China ($13.8 million or almost 30%), Hungary ($12.4 million or 26.7%), and Poland ($5.6 million or 12.2%), while last year imports from China amounted to $10.8 million, Hungary – $10.6 million, and Poland – $5.9 million.
According to the State Customs Service, in 2025 Ukraine increased exports of insulated wires and cables by 10.6% compared to 2024, to $1.41 billion, and imports by 24.3%, to $590.7 million.
