Imports of goods into Ukraine from January through September 2026 increased by 25% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2025—from $60.1 billion to $75.1 billion, while for all of 2025 they totaled $84.8 billion, according to data from the Telegram channel of the State Customs Service (SCS) of Ukraine.
At the same time, exports remain at the level of the same period in 2025—$29.6 billion for the first nine months of 2026, compared to $29.5 billion last year ($40.3 billion for all of 2025).
“The tax burden per 1 kg of taxable imports in January–September 2026 amounted to $0.62/kg,” the agency added.
As in 2025, the largest sources of imports to Ukraine were China—$22.6 billion, Poland—over $7.1 billion, and Germany—over $4.9 billion.
Exports from Ukraine, also unchanged compared to 2025, were highest to Poland—$3.7 billion, Turkey—over $2.2 billion, and Germany—$2.1 billion.
Of the total volume of goods imported in January–September 2026, more than 73% fell into the categories of machinery, equipment, and transportation—nearly $34.4 billion (customs clearance of these goods generated nearly 191.5 billion UAH in revenue for the budget, or 29% of customs revenue), fuel and energy products—over $10.8 billion (with over 224.9 billion UAH paid, or 34% of customs revenue), as well as chemical industry products—over $10 billion (with 83 billion UAH paid upon clearance, or 13% of customs revenue).
As for the top three most exported goods from Ukraine, the categories remain unchanged compared to 2025: food products—$17 billion; metals and metal products—$2.9 billion; and machinery, equipment, and transportation—$2.7 billion.
The State Tax Service added that during customs clearance of exports subject to export duties, nearly 1.5 billion UAH was paid to the budget from January through September 2026.
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Belgium in August 2026 improved slightly compared to the previous survey wave: 59.8% of respondents view the country positively, while only 1.4% view it negatively. At the same time, more than a third of those surveyed—36%—remain neutral, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 21.1% of Ukrainians view Belgium entirely positively, and 38.7% view it mostly positively. A neutral attitude was expressed by 36% of respondents. Only 0.8% view the country mostly negatively, 0.6% view it entirely negatively, and another 2.7% were undecided.
According to the table, the balance of positive and negative assessments is +58.4 percentage points. Thus, Belgium remains among the Western European countries with a distinctly positive perception, and negative attitudes toward it are virtually marginal.
In March 2026, 58.7% of respondents viewed Belgium positively: 19.3% viewed it entirely positively and 39.4% viewed it mostly positively. 37.1% of respondents held a neutral view, 2.3% held a negative view, and another 1.9% were undecided.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments rose by 1.1 percentage points—from 58.7% to 59.8%—while negative assessments fell by 0.9 percentage points—from 2.3% to 1.4%. The neutral segment also decreased by 1.1 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes rose from approximately plus 56.4 to plus 58.4 percentage points.
At the same time, the internal structure of positive responses changed slightly. The share of fully positive assessments increased from 19.3% to 21.1%, while the share of mostly positive assessments decreased from 39.4% to 38.7%. This means that the overall improvement was modest, but a portion of respondents began to view Belgium more unequivocally positively.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, previously noted that a significant proportion of neutral responses regarding Belgium is not linked to a negative perception but rather to the specific characteristics of the country’s established image.
“Belgium is perceived by Ukrainians as an important member of the European Union and NATO, a country that consistently supports Ukraine on the international stage. At the same time, its relative distance and the lack of deep historical ties account for the high proportion of neutral assessments,” Pozniy explained.
The new wave of the survey generally confirms this characterization. The positive segment is gradually expanding, negative assessments remain at a minimal level, yet more than a third of Ukrainians still hold a neutral position. This indicates significant potential for further shaping a more defined image of Belgium through economic, humanitarian, educational, and intercultural contacts.
The previous wave of the survey was conducted in March 2026 among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older using self-administered online questionnaires on the SunFlowerSociology panel. The sample was representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, BELGIUM, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, NATO, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
The possibility of establishing backup bridge crossings was discussed by Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine’s Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport; Yo Osumi, the Japanese Ambassador; and Osamu Hattori, the head of the JICA office in Ukraine.
“The key issue is the possibility of establishing backup bridge crossings. Given the ongoing Russian attacks on transportation infrastructure, we must ensure alternative routes so that, even if the main bridges are damaged, we can maintain connections between the banks, the movement of critically important cargo, the operation of emergency services, and the ability to evacuate people,” Kalashnik wrote on Telegram on Wednesday evening following a meeting with Japanese representatives.
According to Kalashnik, Japan has already provided Ukraine with 720 meters of prefabricated bridge structures. “We are currently exploring the possibility of using the available equipment to construct backup crossings. We have agreed with JICA to continue working together to find effective engineering solutions,” Kalashnik wrote.
The minister also highlighted a second important area—the resilience of critical utility infrastructure ahead of winter. “We discussed the need for backup power supplies for water utilities, modular boiler rooms, and equipment to ensure the uninterrupted operation of heating and water supply systems. Priority lists of necessary equipment have already been submitted to JICA for the development of a new emergency assistance project,” Kalashnik reported.
“We also discussed the implementation of joint reconstruction projects. We recently signed the fifth phase of the Emergency Recovery Program, which allocates $15 million for infrastructure needs. We are also working on extending technical assistance for infrastructure recovery,” he added.
“I am grateful to the Government and people of Japan, the Embassy, and the JICA team for their consistent support of Ukraine and their willingness to address our urgent needs,” the minister concluded.
A neutral stance continues to dominate Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Egypt: in August 2026, 61.3% of respondents expressed this view. 28.1% of those surveyed view the country positively, while 6.9% view it negatively. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments has decreased, while the share of negative ones has increased, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 7.2% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Egypt, while 20.9% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 61.3% of respondents. 6.3% view the country mostly negatively, 0.6% view it entirely negatively, and another 3.7% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments based on these indicators is +21.2 percentage points. Thus, positive attitudes toward Egypt are roughly four times more prevalent than negative ones; however, the high proportion of neutral responses remains the defining characteristic of how the country is perceived.
Compared to March 2026, attitudes have deteriorated slightly. In the previous survey wave, 10.5% of respondents rated Egypt entirely positively, and 21.9% rated it mostly positively—meaning the overall positive rating stood at 32.4%. 62.5% of respondents were neutral, and the share of negative ratings in the aggregated results was about 3.7%.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive responses decreased by 4.3 percentage points—from 32.4% to 28.1%—while the share of negative responses increased by approximately 3.2 percentage points—to 6.9%. The share of neutral assessments changed only slightly—from 62.5% to 61.3%. The balance between positive and negative attitudes decreased from approximately plus 28.7 to plus 21.2 percentage points, respectively.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, believes that the case of Egypt clearly illustrates the difference between a country’s economic importance to Ukraine and the extent of its presence in the public consciousness.
“Egypt is a very important export market for Ukraine, primarily for agricultural and food products. At the same time, for most Ukrainians, this country remains more of a tourist destination than an economic partner. That is precisely why we see such a high proportion of neutral assessments: economic ties are significant, but they are not always visible to the general public,” Urakin noted.
According to him, the positive trade balance with Egypt makes this market particularly important for Ukraine amid a general foreign trade deficit.
“When a country provides Ukraine with a significant trade surplus, it is no longer a secondary partner. Such markets must be viewed strategically—in terms of maintaining exports, expanding the range of goods supplied, and fostering long-term economic ties. In the case of Egypt, the potential for this is obvious, but public perception has simply not yet caught up with the country’s actual economic role,” Urakin added.
Thus, Egypt demonstrates a noticeable gap between its economic significance and public perception. Despite the fact that the country is one of Ukraine’s most profitable trading partners in terms of the trade balance, over 60% of Ukrainians continue to view it neutrally. This indicates limited awareness and low emotional engagement rather than a negative attitude.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The previous wave also included 800 respondents; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, with a maximum theoretical margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points for indicators at the 50% confidence level.
ACTIVE GROUP, EGYPT, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, international relations, NORTH AFRICA, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Transportation tax revenues to local budgets for January–August 2026 increased by 58.7% compared to the same period last year, from 88 million UAH to 237.5 million UAH, the State Tax Service of Ukraine (STS) reported on Tuesday.
The largest amount of transportation tax revenue went to the Kyiv city budget—68.1 million UAH. The regional rankings are also led by Dnipropetrovsk (21.3 million UAH), Odesa (17.9 million UAH), and Kyiv (17.5 million UAH) regions.
The STS explains that the vehicle tax is a component of the property tax and is fully allocated to local budgets. Local communities can use the funds received to finance socially important initiatives and develop local infrastructure.
The vehicle tax is levied on passenger cars that are no more than five years old, provided their average market value exceeds the threshold established by law. In 2026, this threshold will be over 3.2 million UAH.
The list of passenger cars subject to the vehicle tax in 2026 has been published on the official website of the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine.
The tax rate is fixed at 25,000 UAH per year for each taxable vehicle. The vehicle owner in whose name the vehicle is registered is liable for the vehicle tax. The actual user of the vehicle—such as a lessee or a person using it under a power of attorney—is not liable for this tax.
A petition on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine calling for the mobilization age limit to be lowered to 55 has reached the number of votes required for consideration.
According to the platform on the government’s website, the petition was submitted on July 27 and, as of October 14, had gathered the 25,000 votes required for consideration.
“Practical experience in carrying out combat and special missions demonstrates the need to revise the regulations to lower the upper age limit to 55,” the petition states.
According to the petition’s author, men aged 55–60 in most cases experience significant age-related changes in health and chronic illnesses, which substantially reduce their physical endurance in extremely challenging field and combat conditions.
Furthermore, according to the author, staffing units with personnel based on their physical capabilities will help improve the overall combat readiness and mobility of military units.
Furthermore, in her view, citizens in this age group are highly qualified specialists whose work in the civilian sector and at critical infrastructure facilities provides substantial support to the country’s economy.
In this regard, the author of the petition proposes: to draft and submit to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine a bill amending the Law “On Military Duty and Military Service” and the Law “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization,” which would lower the age limit for military service during martial law from 60 to 55 years for enlisted personnel, sergeants, senior noncommissioned officers, and officers, as well as establish a provision granting the right to voluntary discharge from military service to service members who have reached the age of 55 during martial law.
A general mobilization is currently in effect in Ukraine, covering men subject to military service between the ages of 25 and 60.
As previously reported, a petition posted on the Cabinet of Ministers’ website failed to garner the number of votes required for consideration. The petition called for allowing the demobilization of military personnel over 55 years of age who have served more than three years; lowering the upper age limit for conscription from 60 to 58 years; demobilize men over 55 who are eligible for a civilian pension for working in hazardous conditions.
CABINET OF MINISTERS, military service, mobilization, PETITION, UKRAINE
