Ukraine is beginning to implement mandatory IMEI declaration for mobile phones upon import; the relevant order has already been signed by the Ministry of Finance, according to Artem Shevchenko, CEO of “Citrus.”
“In my view, this is the most important decision for the Ukrainian mobile phone market in recent years. The order has already been signed by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and registered by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. This means that the decision has already been made and the practical implementation phase is beginning,” he said on LinkedIn.
Shevchenko added that, according to estimates by the Bureau of Economic Security (BES), this change in regulations could generate over 5 billion UAH in additional revenue for the state budget annually and significantly reduce opportunities for “gray market” smartphone imports. The “Citrus” team actively participated in consultations with the EBS regarding this initiative, discussing the technical aspects of implementation and mechanisms that will help make the new system as effective as possible.
Until now, the IMEI was not specified during customs clearance, which meant the state was unable to track the path of a specific mobile phone from the moment of its import to its sale to the end consumer.
“Now the foundation for such a system has been laid. The first stage is mandatory IMEI declaration upon import. The next step should be to include the IMEI on the fiscal receipt. The BEB is already working on this mechanism in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and the State Tax Service of Ukraine. In effect, this means that every mobile phone will have a traceable path from the moment it crosses the border until it is sold. “Once this mechanism is fully implemented, the legal sale of mobile phones without a match between the IMEI declared at the time of import and the IMEI indicated on the fiscal receipt will become virtually impossible,” Shevchenko said.
The government has once again approved and submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a bill introducing value-added tax (VAT) on international postal shipments to Ukraine valued at up to 150 euros, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi announced on Telegram on Wednesday evening.
“We must create a level playing field for all market participants. This is a matter of supporting Ukrainian manufacturers and ensuring fair competition. We expect this decision to generate over 10 billion hryvnias in additional budget revenue each year,” he noted.
The prime minister emphasized that Ukrainian manufacturers and sellers pay VAT, while some imported goods enjoy tax breaks.
“It is unacceptable that Ukrainian manufacturers—for example, in the light industry—pay taxes, while citizens buy clothing on foreign marketplaces, and those same goods are not taxed at all. It is equally unacceptable that a number of unscrupulous players split up their shipments to evade paying taxes,” the head of government stated.
Koretsky also noted that the repeal of the current exemption will bring Ukrainian regulations into line with European Union legislation.
“Importantly, personal gifts valued at up to 45 euros that are sent free of charge will, as before, remain tax-exempt,” the prime minister added.
According to him, if lawmakers support this decision, the new rules will take effect in 2027, giving businesses, marketplaces, and delivery operators time to prepare.
Separately, Koretsky instructed the Ministry of Finance and all relevant agencies to thoroughly discuss this issue with lawmakers at the committee level and with representatives of all factions and groups, as well as to explain in detail to the public the provisions of the bill and the need for its adoption.
As previously reported, the Verkhovna Rada’s adoption of the bill to abolish the tax exemption for international parcels valued at up to 150 euros is a condition for Ukraine to receive the third tranche under the program with the International Monetary Fund in the amount of approximately 0. 7 billion, and the second tranche of macro-financial assistance from the
European Union in the amount of 3.7 billion euros as part of a 90 billion euro loan to support Ukraine.
In the updated Memorandum on Financial and Economic Policies under the IMF’s EFF program, Ukraine committed to adopting this law by the end of July as a new structural benchmark, whereas the original version required its approval by the end of March along with other tax regulations; however, that structural benchmark was not met.
According to Open4business, the United States retained its status as the largest supplier of imported passenger cars to Ukraine in the first half of 2026, accounting for 43% of the total number of imported cars. According to data from the State Customs Service published on July 28, 73,200 passenger cars were imported from the U.S. to Ukraine between January and June.
Germany ranked second among supplier countries, accounting for 17,300 cars, or 10% of total imports. Poland ranked third with 14,600 cars, or 9%.
Collectively, the United States, Germany, and Poland supplied 105,100 passenger cars to Ukraine. These three countries accounted for about 62% of total imports.
Overall, in the first half of the year, cars were imported from more than 50 countries. The total volume of imports exceeded 169,000 vehicles, and their declared value amounted to nearly 96.6 billion UAH.
Customs revenues from passenger car imports reached 32.1 billion UAH.
According to estimates by the Experts Club analytical center, gasoline-powered cars led in terms of customs revenue. They contributed 14.6 billion UAH to the budget, or 45.5% of the total.
Diesel cars generated 8.4 billion UAH, hybrids—7.1 billion UAH, and electric cars—about 2 billion UAH.
Used cars accounted for over 70% of the total number of imported vehicles and generated 17.7 billion UAH in customs duties. New cars accounted for less than 30% of imports and 14.4 billion UAH in revenue.
Gasoline-powered passenger cars accounted for over 14.6 billion hryvnia in customs revenue for the state budget from passenger car imports, which totaled 32.1 billion hryvnia, the State Customs Service reported on its website.
At the same time, diesel cars generated 8.4 billion UAH in revenue, hybrids—7.1 billion UAH, and electric cars—2 billion UAH.
The State Customs Service notes that, overall, from January through June, Ukrainians imported over 169,000 passenger cars with a total value of nearly 96.6 billion hryvnias, 70% of which were used cars, generating 17.7 billion hryvnias in customs duties for the state budget, while new cars accounted for 14.4 billion UAH.
Gasoline-powered cars, which remain the most popular, accounted for 54.5% of total imports. In second place were diesel cars (20.3%), which not only significantly outpaced electric cars (13%) but also surpassed hybrids (12.1%).
Hybrids were the most expensive among imported cars, with an average price of nearly $27,000 per vehicle; diesel cars averaged $16,000; electric cars, over $10,000; and gasoline-powered cars, $9,000.
According to the State Customs Service, cars have been imported from more than 50 countries since the beginning of 2026, but the undisputed leaders are: the United States—73,200 (43% of the total number of imports); Germany—17,300 (10%); and Poland—14,600 (9%).
In total, nearly 105,100 cars were imported from these countries, accounting for 62% of the total.
As previously reported, according to the State Customs Service, the volume of passenger car imports into Ukraine—including cargo-passenger vans and race cars (UKT ZED code 8703)— amounted to $2.18 billion in January–June 2026, which is 14.6% less than the figure for the first half of 2025 ($2.554 billion).
Initial registrations of new domestically produced passenger car trailers in April–June of this year rose by 35% compared to the first quarter of 2026—to 6,753 units, which is also 6.8% higher than the figure for the first quarter of last year, according to the Automotive Market Research Institute (AMRI).
“The passenger car trailer segment (gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kg) is unique to the Ukrainian auto market. It is perhaps the only vehicle sector where imports have completely lost out to local manufacturers, who control 80% of the market, providing private owners, farmers, and small businesses with affordable trailer equipment,” the IDA’s website states.
According to their data, the remaining 20% of the market is divided among domestic resales of used trailers (16.2%), imports of used trailers (3.4%), while the share of new imports amounted to only 0.4%.
“Imports of new trailers are virtually nonexistent, as high logistics costs and customs duties make importing foreign equivalents economically unfeasible given the robust and affordable domestic supply,” experts note.
The most popular models in the second quarter were classic flatbed trailers, trailers for transporting boats and motorboats, platforms (car carriers) for transporting cars, construction materials, and oversized cargo, as well as flatbed-tented trailers and special-purpose trailers for motor vehicles (for ATVs, buggies, and motorcycles).
Trailers with a gross weight of up to 750 kg account for the lion’s share of domestic production (94%).
Experts attribute the popularity of this category to the simplicity of the paperwork (a basic Category B driver’s license is sufficient to tow a trailer), affordability and reliability (they do not require the installation of a complex and expensive braking system), and versatility (they cover 90% of private and small business needs).
In turn, the heavier class (from 750 kg to 3,500 kg), which accounted for 6% of the market, requires an inertia brake and a BE license—these are primarily commercial flatbed trailers for transporting vehicles and heavy specialized equipment.
The leader among Ukrainian manufacturers of passenger car trailers in April–June 2026 is MP “Trailer Plant” (Hlukhiv, Sumy Oblast), with sales of 1,868 thousand units, or more than 27% of the domestic trailer market.
Kyiv-based “NVP-Palych” ranks second with 1,185 thousand units, thanks to its broad model lineup and well-developed sales network.
According to IDA data, third place goes to LLC “Agromotorservice” (Starokostiantyniv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast), known for its “Starkon” models, with 751 trailers.
The top ten also includes manufacturers from Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Irpin (Kyiv Oblast), Lutsk, and the Vinnytsia and Chernihiv regions.
“The passenger trailer market in the second quarter of 2026 demonstrated complete independence from imports. Ukrainian companies provide consumers with products that are fully adapted to local operating conditions and outperform foreign counterparts in terms of price-to-durability ratio,” the post concludes.
Imports of trucks to Ukraine in January–June 2026 fell by 6.7% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2025—to $446.1 million, according to statistics from the State Customs Service.
According to the published data, imports of these vehicles in June, in particular, rose by 4% compared to June 2025 and by 4% compared to May of this year—reaching $94.14 million.
As in the previous year, the largest number of trucks in January–June was imported from Poland, but imports from that country fell by 40.4%—to $58.06 million—and its share of total truck imports dropped to 13% from 20.4%.
Imports from Italy, which did not rank among the top three truck suppliers in the first half of the year, totaled $55.2 million (12.38%), while imports from France fell by 36.5% to $47.7 million (10.68%).
In January–June of last year, the top three truck suppliers were Poland, the United States, and France.
Truck imports from all other countries increased by 27% in the first half of the year, reaching $285.1 million.
At the same time, according to statistics, Ukraine exported only $1.85 million worth of trucks over the six-month period, mostly to Turkey, while a year ago, exports totaled nearly $3.5 million, also primarily to Turkey.
As previously reported, in 2025, imports of trucks into Ukraine increased by 5.5% compared to 2024—to $999.5 million, with the largest volumes coming from France—$169.2 million (42.8% more than the year before last), Poland—$162.7 million (-14.7%), and the U.S.—$109 million (+2%).
