During the 2025/2026 season, Ukraine earned a record 250.8 million euros in revenue from frozen raspberry exports, a 65% increase over the previous season.
Between June 2025 and May 2026, Ukrainian companies exported 63,300 metric tons of frozen raspberries, increasing the physical volume of shipments by 7%, according to data from the July analytical report by the Ukrainian Berry Growers Association, published on August 7.
Thus, the main factor driving the growth in export revenue was not an increase in volume but a significant rise in the price of Ukrainian berries. The average export price was 3.96 euros per kg, which is 54% higher than in the previous season.
In May, the final month of the 2025/2026 season, Ukraine exported approximately 2,900 metric tons of frozen raspberries at an average price of 3.95 euros per kilogram. Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany were among the main export destinations.
This revenue growth continues a trend that began as early as the 2025 calendar year. At that time, frozen raspberry exports rose from 55,700 metric tons in 2024 to 60,700 metric tons—an increase of approximately 9%—while their value jumped from 129.3 million euros to 216.7 million euros.
The average price of Ukrainian raspberries rose significantly throughout last year. While it stood at about 2.78 euros per kg at the beginning of 2025, it exceeded 3.8 euros in the second half of the year and reached 4.29 euros per kg in December.
Poland Remains the Main Market
Poland remains the largest buyer of Ukrainian frozen raspberries and is also a major European processing and re-export hub.
In 2025, Ukraine supplied 24.1 thousand metric tons of frozen raspberries to Poland. The Polish market accounted for 39.7% of Ukraine’s total export revenue from this product, or 86.1 million euros. A year earlier, that share stood at 31.8%.
Germany is the second-largest market. Direct Ukrainian shipments there in 2025 totaled 14.1 thousand metric tons, compared to 15.4 thousand metric tons the previous year. At the same time, the “Berry Growers of Ukraine” Association suggests that a portion of German demand is increasingly being met through Polish intermediaries.
The Czech Republic retained its third-place position. Ukraine supplied approximately 10,000 metric tons of frozen raspberries there annually, and the value of shipments in 2025 rose from 24.1 million euros to 39.1 million euros, primarily due to higher prices.
The price situation remains favorable for Ukrainian producers
The “Berry Growers of Ukraine” Association expects that in the 2026/2027 season, the situation on the European market may remain favorable for Ukrainian exporters.
Among the factors supporting prices, analysts cite problems with the raspberry harvest in Serbia and the uneven condition of plantations in Poland. In its July report, the association estimates Serbia’s 2026 harvest to be 20–30% below normal levels due to drought.
This potentially reduces supply from one of Europe’s traditionally largest producers and exporters of frozen raspberries and opens up additional opportunities for Ukrainian suppliers.
As a result, Ukraine is gradually increasing not only the physical volume of berry exports but also the value of its shipments. In the 2025/2026 season, price increases had a significantly greater impact on export revenue than increases in tonnage, bringing revenue from frozen raspberries to a historic high of 250.8 million euros.
Azerbaijan intends to increase electricity exports to neighboring countries and enter the European energy market, said the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev.
“By expanding our export capabilities to neighboring countries, we will also enter the European market. After all, we have already entered the European market with our oil and gas, but we want to enter it with electricity as well,” Aliyev said in an interview with the Azerbaijani state television channel AzTV.
According to him, the only route for supplying electricity to Europe currently runs through Georgia and Turkey, but Azerbaijan intends to expand the number of export routes. In this regard, a feasibility study for the Black Sea Energy project has already been prepared.
In addition, in November 2024, as part of COP29, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement to lay an electrical cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea.
“Azerbaijan will establish itself as a country that generates, receives, transmits, and exports electricity,” Aliyev said.
He also noted that the capacity of solar power plants in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) could reach 500 MW, and up to 1 GW in the future.
“The main issue here is export capacity. To achieve this, of course, negotiations must be held with the relevant authorities in the respective countries, and these are already underway,” the president said.
At the same time, Aliyev noted that the existing power transmission lines from the NAR to Iran and Turkey have limited capacity, which needs to be increased.
“That is, for exporting 500 megawatts—or even 1,000 megawatts—of electricity, there are currently two routes: one to Turkey and the other to Iran. But in the future, this could also include Europe,” he said.
The head of state added that Azerbaijan’s plans to export electricity are in line with the interests of the countries “surrounding us.”
“It’s just that coordination efforts here must be carried out properly, at the necessary level, and negotiations must be accelerated. I can say that negotiations on this matter are currently underway with both Turkey and Iran. It’s too early to say anything for sure,” the president said.
Ukraine’s trade surplus in ferrous metals and products made from them in January–July 2026 fell by approximately 40% compared to the same period last year—to approximately $465 million.
The calculation is based on data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
Over the first seven months, Ukraine exported $1.678 billion worth of ferrous metals and an additional $507.5 million worth of metal products. Total export revenue for these two groups amounted to approximately $2.185 billion.
At the same time, imports of ferrous metals reached $1.023 billion, while imports of ferrous metal products amounted to $697.6 million. Thus, total imports amounted to approximately $1.720 billion.
The difference between exports and imports narrowed to approximately $465 million.
For comparison: based on the annual trends published by the State Customs Service, in January–July 2025, total exports of these two commodity groups amounted to approximately $2.385 billion, imports to approximately $1.612 billion, and the trade surplus to approximately $773 million.
Thus, the annual trade surplus decreased by approximately $308 million, or nearly 40%.
The main reason for this decline is the opposing trends in export and import flows. Total exports of ferrous metals and metal products over the seven-month period decreased by approximately 8.4%, while imports of these goods increased by approximately 6.7%.
The imbalance is particularly noticeable in the metal products segment: exports here totaled $507.5 million, while imports amounted to $697.6 million, resulting in a trade deficit of about $190 million.
Ferrous metals are currently offsetting this deficit: their exports exceed imports by approximately $655 million. However, at the same time, foreign exchange proceeds from their exports fell by 7.6%, while imports rose by 7.2%.
This trend indicates a noticeable decrease in the positive contribution of metallurgical products to Ukraine’s foreign trade balance in 2026.
In January–July 2026, Ukrainian steelmakers saw their foreign exchange revenue from ferrous metal exports decline by 7.6% compared to the same period last year—to $1.678 billion from $1.816 billion.
This is according to data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
The share of ferrous metals in Ukraine’s total merchandise export revenue over the first seven months fell to 6.95% from 7.79% in January–July 2025, or by 0.84 percentage points.
Thus, metallurgical products continue to account for a significant portion of Ukraine’s merchandise exports, but their share is shrinking amid a decline in the sector’s foreign exchange earnings.
At the same time, imports of ferrous metals into Ukraine continued to grow. In January–July, they increased by 7.2% to $1.023 billion.
Despite the contrasting trends in exports and imports, Ukraine maintained a positive trade balance in ferrous metals of approximately $655 million over the seven-month period.
The situation with fabricated metal products deteriorated separately. Exports of these products fell by 10.8% to $507.5 million, while imports rose by 6% to $697.6 million. As a result, the foreign trade deficit in fabricated metal products stood at about $190 million.
By comparison, at the end of 2025, export revenue from ferrous metals rose by 7.85% to $3.339 billion, and their share of total merchandise exports reached 8.25%. In 2024, exports of ferrous metals increased by another 16.9%—to $3.096 billion.
Thus, after two years of growth in the metallurgical sector’s export revenues, the trend reversed in 2026: revenues are declining, while imports of ferrous metals and metal products continue to rise.
Ukraine exported $14.1 billion worth of food products in January–July 2026, according to data from the State Customs Service. Based on calculations using State Customs Service statistics, food products accounted for about 58.5% of Ukraine’s total merchandise exports, which amounted to $24.1 billion over the seven-month period.
Metals and metal products ranked second among export categories at $2.5 billion, or slightly more than 10% of total exports.
Machinery, equipment, and transportation vehicles were exported in the amount of $2.1 billion, corresponding to approximately 8.7% of total exports.
Thus, food products, metal products, and machinery collectively accounted for about 77.6% of Ukraine’s merchandise exports.
Poland remained the largest market for Ukrainian goods over the seven-month period, with $2.8 billion worth of products shipped there. Exports to Turkey totaled $2 billion, and to Germany—$1.5 billion.
Overall, Ukrainian exports in January–July 2026 grew by 3.8% compared to the same period last year—rising to $24.1 billion from $23.2 billion.
At the same time, imports grew much faster—by 26.6%, to $58.1 billion.
Ukraine exported $14.1 billion worth of food products in January–July 2026, according to data from the State Customs Service.
According to calculations by the Experts Club information and analytical centre based on State Customs Service statistics, food products accounted for approximately 58.5% of Ukraine’s total merchandise exports, which amounted to $24.1 billion over the seven-month period.
Metals and metal products ranked second among export categories at $2.5 billion, or slightly more than 10% of total exports.
Exports of machinery, equipment and transport vehicles amounted to $2.1 billion, corresponding to approximately 8.7% of external shipments.
Thus, food, metal products and engineering products collectively accounted for approximately 77.6% of Ukraine’s merchandise exports.
Poland remained the largest market for Ukrainian goods over the seven-month period, receiving $2.8 billion worth of products. Exports to Türkiye amounted to $2 billion, while exports to Germany totalled $1.5 billion.
Overall, Ukrainian exports in January–July 2026 increased by 3.8% compared with the same period last year, rising to $24.1 billion from $23.2 billion.
At the same time, imports increased significantly faster, rising by 26.6% to $58.1 billion.
