In the period from 2022 to January-March 2025, Moldova imported 99.22% of soybeans from Ukraine, which supplied 56.64 thsd tonnes of the total imports of 57.08 thsd tonnes, according to the Moldovan online resource agroexpert.md.
According to the report, the total trade turnover for the analyzed period amounted to 71.42 thsd tonnes, including 79.9% of imports and 20.1% of exports of domestic beans.
Ukraine was the leader in the supply of soybeans throughout the analyzed period. In 2022, it accounted for 99.99% of imports (14.84 thsd tonnes), in 2023 – 97.19% (10.08 thsd tonnes), in 2024 – 99.50% (30.20 thsd tonnes), and in the first quarter of 2025 – 9%.
Other importing countries had a much smaller share. Thus, Germany ranked second with a share of 0.39% of total imports (0.22 thousand tons), with all imports from this country in 2023. Romania is on the third place with the share of 0.26% (0.15 thsd tonnes), the main volume of imports from this country was in 2024.
At the same time, Moldova exported soybeans to 10 countries in 2022-January-March 2025 and totaled 14.34 thsd tonnes.
In 2024, Ukraine increased its exports of agricultural products to the European Union by 11%, according to the EU’s report on trade in such products last year.
“The EU continued to import agricultural food products from various trading partners, with Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine being the main sources. Imports increased from Côte d’Ivoire, Ukraine and Nigeria, while they decreased from Russia and Australia,” the report, the full text of which is published on the European Commission’s website, says.
According to the published statistics, Ukraine was the third source of imports of agri-food products to the EU in 2024 (8% of the total value of imports). Agricultural imports from Ukraine to the EU increased by 11% compared to 2023 (+EUR1.3 billion) and reached EUR13 billion. This was mainly due to an increase in the share of two key commodities in imports: vegetable oils (EUR3 billion in 2024, +EUR946 million compared to 2023), and oilseeds and protein cereals (EUR3.1 billion, +EUR709 million).
At the same time, imports of Ukrainian grains to the EU decreased by 12% in value (to EUR 4.5 bln) due to lower prices, but their volume increased by 6% year-on-year.
At the same time, the total volume of European agricultural imports in 2024 reached a record high of EUR171.8 bln (+8% compared to 2023, or +EUR12.4 bln).
In terms of consumption of European agricultural exports, Ukraine ranks 13th with EUR3.634 billion, which is about 2% of the EU’s total agricultural exports (EUR235.4 billion). At the same time, in terms of consumption of European imported agricultural products, Ukraine showed an increase of 5% compared to 2023, when the country imported agricultural products worth EUR3.461 billion from the EU.
In January-March this year, Ukraine increased imports of coke and semi-coke in physical terms by 90.3% year-on-year to 212,366 thousand tons from 111,600 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Tuesday, coke imports in monetary terms increased by 59.2% to $68.025 million during this period. It was imported mainly from Poland (84% of supplies in monetary terms), Indonesia (14.06%) and the Czech Republic (1.92%).
Ukraine did not export coke in the period under review.
As reported, Metinvest suspended the Pokrovske Coal Group in January this year due to changes in the situation on the frontline, electricity shortages and the deteriorating security situation.
Last year, Ukraine increased imports of coke and semi-coke in physical terms by 2.01 times compared to 2023, to 661.487 thousand tons, mainly from Poland (84.76% of supplies in monetary terms), Colombia (7.74%) and Hungary (2.69%). In monetary terms, imports increased by 81.9% to $235.475 million.
In 2024, the country exported 1,601 thousand tons of 84.76% coke for $368 thousand to Moldova (99.18%) and Latvia (0.82%), while in January, March, October and November 2024, there were no exports, while in 2023, exports amounted to 3,383 thousand tons for $787 thousand.
In January-March this year, Ukraine increased imports of aluminum ore and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms compared to the same period last year – up to 8.219 thousand tons from 123 tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Tuesday, bauxite imports in monetary terms increased 8.6 times during this period, to $891 thousand from $104 thousand.
At the same time, imports were carried out mainly from Turkey (81.37% of supplies in monetary terms) and China (18.63%).
Ukraine did not re-export bauxite in 2025, as well as in 2024 and 2023.
As reported, in 2024, Ukraine increased imports of bauxite in physical terms by 77.4% compared to the previous year – up to 35.173 thousand tons, in monetary terms – by 74% – up to $4.107 million. Imports were carried out mainly from Turkey (78.48% of supplies in monetary terms), China (19.48%) and Spain (1.9%).
In 2023, Ukraine imported 19,830 thousand tons of bauxite for $2.360 million.
In 2022, Ukraine reduced imports of aluminum ore and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 81.5% year-on-year to 945,396 thousand tons. Imports of bauxite in monetary terms decreased by 79.6% to $48.166 million. Imports were mainly from Guinea (58.90% of supplies in monetary terms), Brazil (27.19%) and Ghana (7.48%).
Bauxite is an aluminum ore that is used as a raw material to produce alumina, which is used to make aluminum. They are also used as fluxes in ferrous metallurgy.
Mykolaiv Alumina Plant (MAP) imports bauxite to Ukraine.
In March, Ukraine increased electricity exports by 131% to 76.3 thousand MWh, while imports increased by 11% to 272.3 thousand MWh, Ukrainian energy and climate think tank DiXi Group reported citing Energy map.
According to its information, half of electricity exports went to Hungary – 38.1 thousand MWh. Another 17.8 thousand MWh, which amounted to 23% of total exports, went to Moldova, 11.1 thousand MWh (15%) to Romania, 8.4 thousand MWh (11%) to Slovakia, and 1 thousand MWh (1%) to Poland.
At the same time, it is noted that compared to March-2024, exports fell by half – then it amounted to 154.1 thousand MWh.
According to DiXi Group experts, out of 272.3 thousand MWh of imports, the largest share came from Hungary – 113.8 thousand MWh (42%). Another 52.7 thousand MWh (19%) came from Slovakia, 48.1 thousand MWh (18%) from Poland, 44.6 thousand MWh (16%) from Romania, and 13.2 thousand MWh (5%) from Moldova.
Compared to March 2014, when imports amounted to 168.3 thousand MWh, its figures in March 2015 increased by 1.6 times.
The increase in purchases was recorded from almost all available directions (from 4% to 480%), except for Slovakia – the volume of imports from this country decreased by 28%.
In total, in March, the volume of imports was almost 4 times higher than exports, DiXi Group notes.
As reported, in February 2025, Ukraine increased electricity imports by 33% to 244.2 thousand MWh compared to January and reduced exports by 61% to 33.1 thousand MWh.
Supplies of lead and lead products to Ukraine in January-February 2025 increased 8.7 times to $1.228 million. In February alone, lead was imported for $647 thousand. At the same time, lead exports decreased by 23.4% to $1.346 million.
Lead is currently mainly used in the production of lead-acid batteries for the automotive industry. In addition, lead is used to make bullets and some alloys.
