Foreign workers, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads legally residing in Portugal can receive government financial support of more than EUR5,000 when relocating to inland areas of the country under the Emprego Interior MAIS program, according to data from the Portuguese Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP).
The program is available to workers who relocate to specific inland municipalities in Portugal to take a job, move their existing professional activities there, start their own business, or continue working remotely.
The base payment in 2026 is EUR 3,759.91 for workers with permanent employment contracts, as well as for those who create their own job or start a company. For fixed-term employment contracts lasting at least 12 months, the base payment is EUR 2,685.65.
In addition, the government pays 20% of the base amount for each family member moving with the recipient, as well as up to EUR805.70 for the transportation of personal belongings.
For example, an employee with a permanent contract who is relocating with one family member can receive EUR 5,317.59: EUR 3,759.91 in basic assistance, EUR 751.98 in family allowance, and EUR 805.70 for moving expenses. Therefore, the actual amount of assistance may exceed 5,000 EUR, and for larger families, it may be even higher.
EU citizens, citizens of the European Economic Area, and Swiss citizens, as well as third-country nationals legally residing in Portugal, are eligible for this assistance. The IEFP specifically notes that the program also applies to foreigners with temporary protection status. Thus, provided they meet the other conditions, Ukrainians residing in Portugal with the appropriate legal status may also take advantage of the program.
To receive support, you must relocate your permanent residence to an inland region of Portugal for at least 12 months. If you are starting a new job, the move must take place within 180 days before or after you begin working or start your own business. The salary under an employment contract must not be lower than the national minimum wage.
If the contract is for a fixed term, its duration must be at least 12 months. The program also allows applicants to open a small company with up to 10 employees or to create their own job. If the applicant establishes a commercial company, they must own more than 50% of its capital and voting rights.
A separate category is provided for foreign digital nomads. Foreign nationals who legally reside in Portugal, work remotely for an employer or client outside the country, and relocate to an inland region are eligible for assistance. For them, professional activities must have begun after January 1, 2022, and their income must be at least equal to Portugal’s minimum wage.
Payment is made in two stages. The first 60% of the approved amount is transferred after the application is accepted and the required documents are submitted; the remaining 40% is paid in the 13th month after starting work, establishing a business, or relocating the workplace.
Applications are submitted through the government portal iefponline. As of August 2026, the application period is open and will continue until the program’s funding is exhausted. The application must be submitted no later than 180 days after the start of the employment contract, the establishment of a business, or the relocation of the workplace.
The Emprego Interior MAIS program is part of Portugal’s policy to attract workers and entrepreneurs to the country’s inland regions, which are facing population outflow and labor shortages. It does not automatically apply to any move to Portugal—the new place of residence and, depending on the situation, the place of work must be located within a municipality or parish included by the IEFP in the list of inland areas.
In January–July 2026, Ukraine exported tractors worth $5.97 million, which is approximately 71% more than during the same period last year, when exports totaled $3.49 million, according to data from the State Customs Service.
Thus, tractor exports are growing significantly faster than imports, although in absolute terms, the volume of Ukrainian exports remains relatively small.
Belgium became the main market for Ukrainian tractors in January–July, accounting for 24.8% of total exports. Based on the total volume of shipments, the value of exports to this country amounted to approximately $1.48 million.
Over the course of the year, the geography of exports changed noticeably. In January–July 2025, Romania was the largest destination, accounting for 38% of Ukrainian tractor exports.
For the full year 2025, Ukraine exported $6.6 million worth of tractors, compared to $5.4 million in 2024. The main export destinations at that time were Romania, Belgium, and Germany.
It is noteworthy that in just the first seven months of 2026, exports nearly matched the total for the entire previous year: $5.97 million compared to $6.6 million for the full year of 2025.
If the current trend continues, the final figure for 2026 could exceed last year’s level; however, the data provided by the State Customs Service does not allow for a prediction of future monthly trends or the year-end total.
At the same time, Ukraine remains a major net importer of tractors. From January through July, imports totaled $507.5 million, which is approximately 85 times the value of exports.
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.
In July 2026, Ukraine’s steel mills produced 457,000 metric tons of steel, which is 21.3% less than in July of last year and 33.9% less than in June, when 691,000 metric tons were produced.
At the end of the month, Ukraine ranked 26th among 70 countries whose data is tracked by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel).
Overall, global steel production in July declined much less—by 0.3% year-over-year, to 149.2 million metric tons. Thus, the rate of decline in production in Ukraine significantly exceeded the global average. Worldsteel’s official data was published on August 24, 2026.
From January through July, Ukrainian steelmakers produced 4.023 million metric tons of steel, which is 5.6% less than during the same period in 2025. Based on the results of the first seven months, Ukraine ranks 24th in the global rankings.
The decline in July was particularly sharp compared to the previous month. While Ukrainian enterprises produced about 691,000 metric tons of steel in June, output fell by nearly 234,000 metric tons in July.
This also led to a decline in the country’s position in the global ranking: after seven months, Ukraine ranks 24th, while in July alone it dropped to 26th place.
By comparison, most of the largest producers increased their output in July. India increased production by 1.9%, the U.S. by 4.4%, South Korea by 6.4%, Turkey by 7%, Germany by 3%, and Vietnam by as much as 34.7%. China, on the other hand, reduced production by 3.6%. According to official data from Worldsteel, Russia increased its July production by 3.3%, to an estimated 5.7 million metric tons.
In the first seven months of 2026, global steel production totaled 1.081 billion metric tons, down 0.6% year-over-year. Ukraine, with a 5.6% decline, is also showing significantly weaker performance than the global market as a whole.
In 2025, Ukraine produced approximately 7.4 million metric tons of steel. According to World Steel’s latest annual table, the country ranked 23rd globally, down from 22nd in 2024.
The World Steel Association brings together leading steel producers, national and regional industry associations, and research organizations. The association’s members account for about 85% of global steel production.
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.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated that the republic provided Ukraine with military aid totaling over EUR50 million in 2026, of which over EUR40 million consisted of products from the Estonian defense industry.
“This year’s contribution of at least 0.28% of GDP and the growing share of Estonian defense products in our aid to Ukraine demonstrate the consistency of our support. Ukraine can count on both us and its other allies,” said Pevkur, as quoted by the ministry’s press service.
He noted that in 2023, the Estonian government set a goal of providing support to Ukraine at a level of at least 0.25% of GDP per year. In 2025, this aid reached 0.35% of GDP.
The bulk of Estonia’s military aid is provided in the form of products from Estonian companies. Part of the aid package for 2026 has already been delivered: Estonia has purchased drones and related equipment for Ukraine. Aid measures for 2027 will be announced shortly.
As part of the NATO PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List) initiative, products from the U.S. defense industry are also being procured for Ukraine. Estonia has contributed EUR 21 million to the initiative.
In total, since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Estonia has provided over EUR 850 million in support to the country through various military aid initiatives, according to the Ministry of Defense.
