In January–July 2026, Ukraine imported 28,300 metric tons of cheese, which is 24.7% more than during the same period last year, while exports of Ukrainian cheese rose by only 1.2%—to 8,200 metric tons.
This is according to data from the State Customs Service, cited by the Association of Milk Producers (AMP) in a publication dated August 26.
Thus, according to calculations based on AMM data, the physical volume of cheese imports was approximately 3.5 times greater than exports, and the difference between imports and exports reached about 20,100 metric tons.
The gap in monetary terms is even more pronounced. The value of cheese imports over the seven-month period totaled $168.8 million, an increase of 17.9%, while exports brought Ukraine $37.4 million, which is only 0.5% more than last year’s figure.
Thus, imports exceeded exports in monetary terms by approximately 4.5 times, and the trade deficit in cheese amounted to about $131.4 million.
The data provided by the APM also shows that the average estimated cost of imported cheese was about $6,000 per metric ton, while that of exported cheese was about $4,600 per metric ton.
At the same time, imports in physical terms are growing significantly faster than their value: the volume increased by 24.7%, while procurement costs rose by 17.9%. This indicates a decrease in the average calculated import value per metric ton by approximately 5% compared to January–July of last year.
For comparison: Ukraine’s total merchandise imports in January–July 2026 amounted to $58.1 billion, while exports totaled $24.1 billion, according to the State Customs Service.
Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands remain the main suppliers of cheese to the Ukrainian market, while Ukrainian products are mainly exported to Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Germany.
Original source: Association of Milk Producers, citing data from the State Customs Service.
In January–July 2026, Ukraine imported $507.5 million worth of tractors, which is 2% more than during the same period last year, when imports totaled $497.8 million, according to data from the State Customs Service.
However, in July alone, tractor imports fell by 5% compared to July 2025 and by 3% compared to June of this year, to $70.6 million.
Germany was the largest supplier of tractors to Ukraine over the seven-month period, accounting for 19.4% of imports, or $98.3 million.
China supplied nearly the same volume—$98 million, or 19.3% of total imports. The United States ranked third with shipments worth $89.6 million, accounting for nearly 17.7%.
Thus, the three largest countries accounted for about 56.4% of all tractor imports into Ukraine during January–July.
Compared to last year, the supplier structure has changed. In January–July 2025, the United States was the largest supplier with $94.1 million in shipments, followed by China with $87.3 million and Germany with $83.9 million.
Over the year, shipments from Germany increased by approximately 17%, and those from China by more than 12%, while imports from the United States decreased by about 5%.
For the full year of 2025, Ukraine imported tractors worth $845.7 million, which was 7.9% higher than in 2024. The main suppliers at that time were also the United States ($179.7 million), Germany ($145 million), and China ($142.8 million).
Thus, in 2026, the growth in tractor imports continued, but its pace slowed noticeably: over the first seven months, the figure increased by only 2%, and by July, a negative year-over-year trend had already been recorded.
Ukraine’s foreign exchange earnings from ferrous metal exports in July 2026 totaled $199.9 million, which is nearly 32% less than in June, when exports brought in $293.6 million, according to data from the State Customs Service.
Thus, July was noticeably weaker than the previous month for Ukrainian steel exports.
Overall, from January through July, companies in the sector earned $1.678 billion from ferrous metal exports, which is 7.6% less than during the same period last year.
At the same time, imports of ferrous metals in July totaled $176.4 million. The difference between exports and imports thus narrowed to approximately $23.5 million for the month.
Over the seven-month period, metal imports rose by 7.2% to $1.023 billion.
The decline in July’s export revenue comes after two years of recovery in metallurgical exports. In 2024, their value rose by 16.9%, and in 2025, by another 7.85%.
Ukraine’s positive foreign trade balance in ferrous metals decreased by approximately 24% in January–July 2026, to $655 million, according to Open4Business calculations based on data from the State Customs Service.
Over the seven months, Ukraine exported $1.678 billion worth of ferrous metals, while imports amounted to $1.023 billion.
During the same period of 2025, exports reached $1.816 billion, while imports, based on their current growth of 7.2%, amounted to approximately $954 million. Thus, the trade surplus at that time stood at approximately $862 million.
The reduction in the positive balance is associated with two trends: the export revenue of Ukrainian steelmakers decreased by 7.6%, while the value of products imported into the country increased by 7.2%.
In July, the gap between exports and imports narrowed even further: ferrous metal exports amounted to $199.9 million, while imports totalled $176.4 million.
Despite the deterioration in dynamics, Ukraine’s trade in ferrous metals remains in surplus. However, the margin of exports over imports is becoming significantly smaller.
Source: State Customs Service of Ukraine, Open4Business calculations.
Ukrainian steelmakers reduced foreign exchange earnings from ferrous metal exports by 7.6% in January–July 2026 compared to the same period last year, down to $1.678 billion, according to data from the State Customs Service.
In January–July 2025, ferrous metal exports brought Ukraine $1.816 billion.
The share of ferrous metals in the country’s total merchandise exports also declined—to 6.95% from 7.79% a year earlier, or by 0.84 percentage points.
At the same time, imports of ferrous metals into Ukraine continued to grow. Over the seven-month period, they increased by 7.2%—to $1.023 billion.
Thus, in 2026, the Ukrainian metallurgical industry faced both a decline in export revenue and increased competition from imported products.
By comparison: at the end of 2025, Ukraine, on the contrary, increased its export revenue from ferrous metals by 7.85%—to $3.339 billion—following a 16.9% increase in 2024.
Source: State Customs Service of Ukraine, data for January–July 2026.
In January–July of this year, Ukrainian companies increased their consumption of rolled metal by 0.27% compared to the same period last year, reaching 2.309 million metric tons.
According to a press release issued by the “Ukrmetallurgprom” association on Friday, 1.063 million metric tons were imported during this period, accounting for 46.06% of the domestic rolled steel consumption market.
According to “Ukrmetallurgprom,” in January–July 2026, Ukrainian steel companies produced 3.322 million metric tons of rolled steel (91.7% of the figure for the same period in 2025), of which, according to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, approximately 2.076 million metric tons—or 62.5%—were exported. In January–July 2025, the share of exports was
60.2% (2.182 million metric tons out of a total rolled steel production of 3.622 million metric tons).
The share of semi-finished products in export shipments in January–July 2026 was 42.58%, which is significantly higher than the figure for the first seven months of 2025 (32.58%). The share of flat-rolled products in exports from January through July 2026 was slightly lower than in January through July 2025 (43.74% and 44.55%, respectively). The share of long products, however, is noticeably lower than in January–July 2025 (13.68% in 2026 versus 22.87% in 2025).
The structure of imports in January–July 2026 is characterized by a marked dominance of flat-rolled products over structural steel (66.59% and 26.94%, respectively); however, in January–July 2025, the dominance of flat-rolled products over long products was significantly greater (74.77% and 20.19%, respectively).
“In January–July 2026, the domestic market capacity was 2.309 million metric tons of rolled steel, of which 1.063 million metric tons, or 46.06%, consisted of imports. In January–July 2025, the domestic market capacity was 2,302,700 metric tons, of which 862,700 metric tons, or 37.46%, were imported. “Thus, in January–July 2026, the domestic market capacity increased by 0.27% compared to January–July 2025, with a simultaneous 8.58% rise in the share of imports,” the press release states.
According to the State Customs Service, the main export markets for Ukrainian rolled metal in January–July of this year were the European Union (81.9%), the rest of Europe (9.6%), and the CIS (6.5%).
Among steel importers for the first seven months of 2026, other European countries ranked first (49.8%), followed by Asian countries (25.5%), and EU-27 countries (16.0%).
As previously reported, Ukraine’s rolled metal market grew by 21.73% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching 4 million 1.6 thousand metric tons. Imports totaled 1 million 603.6 thousand metric tons, accounting for 40.07% of domestic rolled metal consumption.
Ukraine’s rolled metal market in 2024 contracted by 6.26% compared to the previous year—to 3,288.4 thousand metric tons, while in 2023 it grew 2.19 times compared to 2022—to 3,505.6 thousand metric tons.
