Rapeseed oil exports from Ukraine in July–February of the 2025/26 marketing year increased 2.2-fold compared to the same period last season, while foreign exchange earnings rose 2.7-fold, according to the Ukroliyaprom association.
The association also reported a sharp increase in the rapeseed meal segment. Over the first eight months of the season, exports of rapeseed meal increased 2.3-fold, while foreign exchange revenue rose by 85%.
Ukroliyaprom views this trend as evidence of the industry’s strategic shift from exporting raw materials to selling products with higher added value.
According to the association’s assessment, it was the increase in rapeseed processing, along with soybeans, that made it possible to offset the shortage of sunflower seeds and maintain oilseed processing plants’ capacity utilization at a stable level.
At the same time, the industry continues to operate under difficult conditions. Among the main risks, the association cites restrictions on energy supply, risks to exports via seaports, and the vulnerability of rail logistics.
Overall, oil and fat products remain one of the key items in Ukrainian exports. According to Ukroliyaprom, they account for 19.2% of total goods exports, or $7.737 billion.
Ukrainian oil and fat industry companies expect sunflower oil exports to decline by 6.4% in the 2025/26 marketing year—to 4.4 million tons from 4.7 million tons the previous season, according to the UkroliyaProm association.
According to the association’s estimates, sunflower oil production this season will also decline by 10%—to 4.6 million tons, down from 5.1 million tons in the previous marketing year.
The association explained that the decline in the sunflower segment is linked to the lowest sunflower yield in the past 10 years, which fell by 16.8%, as well as a 7.8% reduction in harvested acreage.
At the same time, despite the decrease in physical shipment volumes, foreign exchange revenue from sunflower oil exports is growing thanks to higher global prices.
According to data from the National Scientific Center “Institute of Agricultural Economics,” the profitability of sunflowers in 2025 stood at 54.7%, which remains one of the highest indicators among agricultural crops and is second only to rye at 56.4%.
Ukroliyaprom emphasized that additional pressure on the industry is being exerted by energy capacity constraints due to shelling of critical infrastructure, threats to the operation of deep-water ports, and attacks on the railway network, which is vital for exports to EU countries.
The introduction of a 10% export duty on soybeans and rapeseed will reduce the profitability of these crops, leading to a 30% reduction in soybean acreage in 2026, experts from the American Chamber of Commerce (ACC) reported during a press briefing in Kyiv.
“Our forecasts indicate a possible 30% reduction in soybean acreage compared to the previous season. The export duty acts as an economic barrier, making the cultivation of this crop less attractive to producers. Farmers won’t take losses every year—if the financial result is negative, they’ll simply change their crop mix,” the experts explained.
The business association noted that under normal conditions, corn could be an alternative, but currently its investment appeal is also in question due to rising production costs.
“Prices for fuel and fertilizers have risen significantly, particularly due to the escalation of the situation surrounding Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This significantly increases farmers’ costs for growing corn, which, combined with the low profitability of oilseeds due to tariffs (on soybeans and rapeseed – IF-U), puts farmers in a difficult position ahead of the spring planting season,” the briefing participants emphasized.
Experts expressed confidence that if regulatory policy does not change, there is a risk that farmers will abandon rapeseed and soybean cultivation in the long term. This will lead to domestic processors, who lobbied for the introduction of tariffs to obtain cheap raw materials, eventually facing a physical shortage of those materials due to reduced production.
As reported, pursuant to Law No. 4536-IX of July 16, 2025, a 10% export duty on rapeseed and soybeans was introduced in Ukraine effective September 4, 2025. The document provides for a gradual reduction of the rate by 1% annually, starting January 1, 2030, to 5% by 2035. At the same time, the law includes a preferential regime for direct producers and cooperatives, who are exempt from paying the duty when exporting their own-grown products.
In February 2026, the Export Credit Agency (ECA) supported exports by Ukrainian companies worth 670.8 million UAH, according to the agency’s website.
Oschadbank provided the largest volume of support in cooperation with partner banks—UAH 552.48 million in supported exports, while Creditvest Bank supported UAH 51.01 million.
The largest volume of supported exports came from enterprises in Lviv (501.88 million UAH), Poltava (51.01 million UAH), Chernihiv (43.03 million UAH), and Zaporizhzhia (35.32 million UAH) regions.
The main importing countries of Ukrainian products in February were Germany (UAH 501.88 million), Poland (UAH 86.69 million), Kazakhstan (UAH 43.03 million), Lithuania (UAH 22.91 million), and Romania (UAH 14.90 million).
In terms of sectoral structure, the largest shares were held by printed matter and periodicals, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances, paper and paperboard, ferrous metal products, as well as plastics and polymer materials.
Sunflower oil exports from Ukraine in the 2025/2026 marketing year (MY) are projected at 4.1 million tons. This is 14% less than the previous season’s figure, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UAC) reported on Facebook.
According to analysts, the main reason for the decline was a reduction in raw material volumes. Specifically, in the current season, the total area planted with sunflowers was 5.2 million hectares, which is 2.6% less than in the previous MY. Difficult weather conditions, particularly a lack of rainfall, led to a decrease in yield to 2.0 t/ha.
“As a result, the seed harvest is expected to reach 10.1 million tons. This is 10.6% less than in the previous marketing year and 13.5% below the average for the last five years,” experts predict.
Due to the smaller harvest, UCAB estimates processing volumes at 10.1 million tons, meaning oil production will drop by 13.1% to 4.3 million tons. Meanwhile, the domestic market will consume only about 240,000 tons of the product.
“Domestic consumption in Ukraine continues to decline due to the partial occupation of territories, forced population migration, and military operations. Therefore, the vast majority of the product will be exported,” explained UCAB, noting that in 2025, sunflower oil alone generated the highest foreign exchange revenue among the entire agricultural sector.
The association expressed confidence that despite the negative production trends, Ukrainian sunflower oil retains its position as a key export commodity in the EU, Middle East, and Asian markets.
In January-February of this year, Ukraine’s mining companies reduced exports of iron ore raw materials (IORM) by 40.9% in volume terms compared to the same period last year—to 3,309,055 thousand tons from 5,595,706 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Tuesday, 1,254,516 thousand tons of IOR were exported in February, and 2,054,539 thousand tons in January.
In the first two months of the year, foreign exchange earnings from mineral ore exports decreased by 42.1% to $260.130 million.
Mineral resources were exported mainly to China (33.37% of shipments in monetary terms), Slovakia (23.43%), and Poland (16.74%).
In addition, in January–February 2026, Ukraine imported 180 tons of raw materials worth $26,000 from Poland (76.92%) and Italy (23.08%); all shipments took place in January, whereas in January–February 2025, the country imported 11,000 tons worth $5,000.
As reported, Ukraine’s mining companies reduced ore exports in physical terms by 8% in 2025 compared to the previous year—to 30,995,363 thousand tons from 33,699,722 thousand tons, foreign exchange earnings decreased by 16.6%—to $2.337765 billion from $2.803223 billion. Exports were mainly directed to China (44.98% of shipments in monetary terms), Slovakia (17.15%), and Poland (16.09%).
In addition, in 2025, Ukraine imported $95,000 worth of raw materials totaling 130 tons from the Netherlands (46.32%), Italy (36.84%), and Norway (13.68%), whereas in the previous year it imported 2,042 thousand tons worth $414 thousand.
