Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

China, Poland, and Germany remain Ukraine’s key trading partners – Experts Club

In terms of total trade volume, Ukraine cooperates most closely with China, Poland, and Germany. These countries form the basis of the state’s foreign economic relations, exerting a critical influence on imports and exports.

China remains the leader with a total trade volume of $8.99 billion. Poland ranks second with $6.04 billion, while Germany and Turkey are almost equal with $4.28 billion and $4.25 billion, respectively. The United States ranks fifth with $2.86 billion.


The top 10 also includes Italy ($2.38 billion), the Czech Republic ($1.64 billion), Bulgaria ($1.54 billion), Hungary ($1.53 billion), and Romania ($1.50 billion).

“The top ten partners form the basis of Ukraine’s foreign trade balance. China and the EU countries account for the largest volumes of trade, but it is important to take into account the significant negative balance in relations with these countries,” said Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club and economist.

He added that although the large volume of trade indicates Ukraine’s integration into global supply chains, dependence on imports from China and Europe creates strategic risks.

“Poland and Germany are key hubs for Ukrainian exports, but at the same time they are significant sources of imports. Therefore, it is critically important to balance trade flows, preserving positive sectors such as agriculture and metallurgy, and reducing dependence on critical imports,” Urakin noted.

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Poland, Turkey, and Italy among key export destinations in 2025 – analysis by Experts Club

According to the results of the first half of 2025, Poland remains Ukraine’s main trading partner in terms of export volumes. According to research by Active Group and Experts Club, exports to Poland amounted to US$2.45 billion.

Turkey ranks second with USD 1.71 billion, and Italy ranks third with USD 1.17 billion. Other major partners include: Germany ($1.09 billion), Spain ($976 million), the Netherlands ($919 million), China ($847 million), Egypt ($776 million), Romania ($679 million), and Hungary ($652 million).

“The structure of Ukraine’s exports shows a clear focus on European Union countries. Poland, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands together account for more than half of total exports. This indicates Ukraine’s strategic integration into the European economic space,” emphasized Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club and economist.

He also noted that Turkey remains a critically important partner for Ukrainian agricultural and metallurgical exports, while China and Egypt are key markets for agricultural products, particularly grains.

“The presence of trading partners such as Egypt and China diversifies Ukrainian exports,” Urakin added.

 

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Ukrainians are mostly positive about Romania – Experts Club survey

The attitude of Ukrainians towards Romania is predominantly positive, although a significant proportion of respondents are neutral. This is evidenced by the results of an all-Ukrainian survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical center in August 2025.

According to the survey, 46.3% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude towards Romania (33.7% – mostly positive, 12.7% – completely positive). A negative attitude was expressed by 7.0% of respondents (6.0% – mostly negative, 1.0% – completely negative). Another 44.3% of citizens are neutral, and 2.7% admitted that they do not know enough about this country.

“For Ukraine, Romania is not only a neighbor and a member of the EU and NATO, but also an important trading partner. In the first half of 2025, the volume of bilateral trade exceeded $1.49 billion, of which exports from Ukraine amounted to more than $679 million and imports from Romania – almost $820 million. The negative balance of $140 million indicates that economic ties remain active and have the potential for further development,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.

In his turn, Oleksandr Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, noted that the sociological results demonstrate stability in public perception.

“More than a third of Ukrainians rate Romania positively, and almost half are neutral. This means that the negative segment remains relatively small, and thus Romania is viewed by Ukrainians as a neighbor with whom they can maintain constructive relations,” he added.

The survey is part of a broader study of international sympathies and antipathies of Ukrainians in the current geopolitical environment.

The full video can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgC9TPnMoMI&t

You can subscribe to the Experts Club YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsClub

 

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Highest average European mortgage rates in Hungary, Poland, and Romania

Consulting firm Deloitte has released the 14th edition of its Property Index 2025 report on European housing markets. The study covers 28 countries. Ukraine was not included in this study.

The highest average mortgage rates are in Hungary (9.35%), Poland (7.67%), and Romania (6.89%). Deloitte

The lowest are in Bulgaria (2.83%), Croatia (2.86%), and Turkey (3.01%).

The average rate in Europe is 4.36%, which is slightly lower than last year and reflects the gradual easing of monetary policy in a number of countries.

Deloitte notes that against the backdrop of a “bottleneck” with new projects and sustained demand, the rental segment is strengthening (rates are rising not only in capital cities but also in regional centers). At the same time, high rates and regulatory lags in permits continue to put pressure on property affordability, especially in large agglomerations.

Deloitte Property Index 2025 — a comparative study of European housing markets: prices for new buildings, affordability (in years of gross salary for a 70 m² apartment), rental dynamics, and mortgage rates. Key findings and figures are available on the Deloitte Property Index 2025 report page.

 

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Romania is most accessible country in Europe for digital nomads

Romania is the most accessible country in Europe for digital nomads, according to a study by Omio. The index looked at the cost of living, rent, visa requirements, and internet access, with interest in remote work across borders growing fast.

Romania ranked first among European countries in terms of accessibility for digital nomads. Its assets include the lowest cost of living (index 37) and favorable rental conditions (index 7), which are significantly lower than in the US (72).

However, to obtain a digital visa in Romania, you need to prove that you have a monthly income of at least £3,700 (~$5,000), which is a high threshold for many freelancers.

In second place is Albania, which has the same low cost of living and rent but a more lenient income threshold (€1,000), although it lags behind Romania in terms of safety and internet speed.

Georgia is one of the leaders in terms of low living and rental costs, but its mandatory income requirement for a visa — around £2,000 — is higher than in Albania.

Hungary also ranks highly in the regional rankings thanks to its fast internet speeds and moderate income requirements for a visa.

Omio’s research confirms Eastern Europe’s status as the most accessible region for digital nomads. Romania leads the way thanks to its favorable combination of cost of living and infrastructure quality. However, visa requirements — particularly the relatively high level of provable income — remain a barrier for effective freelancers with unstable incomes.

 

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Eurozone showed growth of 0.1% in second quarter — Romania leads way, Ireland in red

The eurozone economy grew by 0.1% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the previous three months and by 1.4% year-on-year, according to revised data from the EU statistics office (Eurostat). The figures were in line with previous estimates and analysts’ expectations.

In January-March, the eurozone’s GDP grew faster, by 0.6% quarter-on-quarter and 1.1% year-on-year.

Ranking of eurozone countries by GDP growth in Q2 (quarter-on-quarter)

  1. Ireland — down 1.0%
  2. Germany — down 0.1%
  3. Italy — down 0.1%
  4. Netherlands — up 0.1%
  5. France — up 0.3%
  6. Spain — up 0.7%
  7. Romania — up 1.2%

Overall, the EU economy grew by 0.2% in the second quarter and 1.5% year-on-year.

Among the largest economies in the eurozone, Germany and Italy showed a moderate decline, while France and Spain showed significant growth. The largest increase was recorded in Romania, and the largest decline was in Ireland.

This is the second estimate of the change in eurozone GDP out of three; Eurostat will present the final data on September 5.

Earlier, the information and analytical center Experts Club made a video analysis of the prospects for the Ukrainian and global economies. For more details, see the video — https://youtu.be/kQsH3lUvMKo?si=F4IOLdLuVbYmEh5P

 

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