China’s exports rose by 27% year-on-year in June to $412.39 billion, while imports increased by 36% to $286.76 billion, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China.
Export growth was the highest since the beginning of the current year, while import growth was the highest since June 2021. In both cases, an all-time record in terms of volume was recorded. Experts Club also notes that the June figures exceeded market expectations: analysts had on average forecast export growth of 18.2% and import growth of 24%.
China’s foreign trade surplus amounted to $125.6 billion in June, compared with $113.9 billion in the same period of 2025.
China’s exports to Japan rose by 6.9% last month, to South Korea by 42.6%, to the United States by 13.9%, to Australia by 29.8%, to ASEAN countries by 34.6%, and to European Union countries by 18.5%.
Imports from Japan increased by 33.9%, from South Korea by 85%, from Australia by 65.8%, from ASEAN by 26.8%, from the EU by 9.2%, and from the United States by 25.9%.
According to Chinese customs statistics, trade turnover between China and Russia increased by 25.6% in the first half of 2026 to $134.175 billion. Chinese exports to Russia rose by 28.4% to $60.597 billion, while imports from Russia increased by 23.3% to $73.578 billion. In June, trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $24.351 billion, including Chinese exports to Russia of $11.432 billion and imports from Russia of $12.919 billion.
The Chinese side publishes trade data broken down by countries and regions in the statistical tables of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, while the information database of China’s Ministry of Commerce indicates that the source of these data is Chinese customs.
Data on Ukraine were not separately highlighted among the largest destinations in the operational Chinese press release. At the same time, according to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, China remains the largest source of Ukrainian imports: in January–June 2026, Ukraine imported goods worth $13.9 billion from China. The largest markets for Ukrainian exports during this period were Poland, Türkiye and Italy.
In the first half of 2026, China’s foreign trade surplus amounted to $575.98 billion, compared with $586 billion a year earlier. Exports rose by 17.6% to $2.12 trillion, while imports increased by 26.6% to $1.55 trillion.
By commodity category, China increased coal imports by 29% and natural gas imports by 3.7% in June, while oil imports fell by 41.3% to their lowest level in almost a decade. China also increased overseas purchases of soybeans by 10.5%, iron ore by 6.4%, and steel by 6.6%.
Reuters attributes the strong performance of China’s foreign trade to high demand for products related to artificial intelligence, semiconductors and computing equipment. At the same time, the agency notes that exports remain an important source of support for the Chinese economy amid weak domestic demand and problems in the real estate sector.
Imports of goods into Ukraine from January through June 2026, in monetary terms, increased by 29% compared to the same period in 2025—from $38.3 billion to $49.3 billion, according to data from the Telegram channel of the State Customs Service (SCS) of Ukraine.
In contrast, the value of exports is growing more slowly: in January–June 2026, it totaled $21 billion, compared to $20 billion a year earlier.
“At the same time, taxable imports totaled $34.6 billion, accounting for 70% of the total volume of imported goods. The tax burden per kilogram of taxable imports in January–June 2026 was $0.58/kg,” the publication states.
The largest volumes of goods were imported into Ukraine from China ($13.9 billion), Poland ($4.7 billion), and Germany ($3.2 billion). The largest exports from Ukraine went to Poland ($2.4 billion), Turkey ($1.8 billion), and Italy ($1.3 billion).
Of the total volume of goods imported in January–June 2026, 72% consisted of the following categories: machinery, equipment, and transportation—$21.3 billion (upon customs clearance of these goods, 120.6 billion UAH, or 28% of customs duties, was paid to the budget); fuel and energy products—$7.4 billion (UAH 148.3 billion, or 34% of customs revenue), and chemical industry products—$6.9 billion (UAH 56.8 billion, or 13% of customs revenue).
The top three most exported goods from Ukraine were food products—$12.5 billion; metals and metal products—$2.2 billion; and machinery, equipment, and transportation vehicles—$1.8 billion.
The State Customs Service added that from January through June 2026, 802.3 million UAH was paid to the budget during customs clearance of exports of goods subject to export duties.
Electricity imports to Ukraine from June 8 to 14 rose by 63% compared to the previous week—to 100.6 thousand MWh, the DIXI Group analytical center reported on Tuesday, citing data from Energy Map.
“Compared to the previous week, imports increased across all sources,” the center noted.
At the same time, exports fell by 38% to 17.2 thousand MWh.
According to Energy Map, Hungary accounted for the largest share of imports last week—40,000 MWh, or 39.8%. Slovakia accounted for 27,900 MWh (27.7%), Romania – 23.5 thousand MWh (23.4%), Poland – 9.2 thousand MWh (9.1%), and Moldova – 0.03 thousand MWh (<0.1%).
The highest growth rates in imports were recorded from Moldova—a 2.5-fold increase. Imports from Slovakia and Hungary increased by 86% and 83%, respectively; from Romania—by 47%; and from Poland—by 5%.
Meanwhile, in the export structure, Hungary’s share amounted to 7.3 thousand MWh (42.6%), Romania’s share was 6.4 thousand MWh (37.3%), Moldova’s was 3.4 thousand MWh (19.9%), and Slovakia’s was 0.04 thousand MWh (0.2%).
Compared to the previous week, exports decreased by 36–89% in most directions. At the same time, supplies to Romania increased 2.8-fold. Electricity exports to Poland have not taken place since November 2025.
The value of Ukraine’s exports of insulated wires and cables (including fiber-optic cables) in January–May 2026 increased by 3.2% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching $612.9 million.
According to statistics from the State Customs Service (SCS), Germany remained the largest importer of Ukrainian products, as it was last year; shipments to Germany saw almost no growth, totaling $209.4 million, while its share of total exports of these products decreased slightly to 34.2%.
As in January–May 2025, the top three importers also included Hungary—$102 million (compared to $95.8 million last year)—and Poland—$97.9 million ($90.7 million).
According to statistics, exports of these products turned negative in May, declining by 6.6% compared to May 2025 and by 1% compared to April of this year, to $124.15 million.
At the same time, according to the State Customs Service, imports of wires and cables into Ukraine increased by 20.4% in January–May, reaching $220.8 million.
The largest suppliers of wires and cables to Ukraine were China ($75.2 million, or 26.8%), Hungary ($73.6 million, or 26.2%), and Poland ($37.1 million, or 13.2%), whereas last year imports from Hungary totaled $65.5 million, from China – $45.4 million, and from Poland – $33.3 million.
As reported, according to the State Customs Service, in 2025 Ukraine increased its exports of insulated wires and cables by 10.6% compared to 2024—to $1.41 billion—and imports by 24.3%—to $590.7 million.
The volume of imports of transformers, inductors, and chokes into Ukraine in January–May 2026 increased by 89% compared to the same period in 2025—reaching $738.9 million, according to statistics from the State Customs Service.
According to the published data, imports of these products in May rose by 45.8% compared to May of last year but fell by nearly half compared to April of this year, reaching $76.9 million.
Thus, the growth rate of imports has begun to slow compared to the same period last year, and the decline in imports relative to the previous month of 2026 is accelerating; specifically, in April of this year, the decline was 34% compared to March 2026.
As previously reported, in March of this year, the Cabinet of Ministers removed transformers from the list of goods eligible for preferential import under agreements with the EU Secretariat.
At the same time, in May, the European Business Association, in an official letter to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, called for the introduction of a temporary exemption from import duties and VAT for certain types of power transformers.
According to the State Customs Service, China remains the largest supplier of these products to Ukraine. Over the past five months, $665.6 million worth of these goods were imported (90% of total imports of these goods), whereas a year earlier, $321.5 million worth of transformers and chokes were imported from China (82.3%).
In addition, transformers were imported from Turkey (2%) and Germany (1.3%), whereas last year the share of imports from Germany was nearly 5%, and from Turkey—3.7%.
According to the State Customs Service, Ukraine exported transformers, inductors, and chokes worth nearly $16 million in January–May (compared to $10.9 million last year), primarily to Germany, Poland, and Hungary.
As reported with reference to the State Customs Service, in 2025, Ukraine’s imports of transformers, inductors, and chokes increased by 88% compared to 2024, reaching $1.12 billion. Imports from China alone were 2.3 times higher, totaling $957.3 million.
In January–May of this year, Ukrainian companies reduced their consumption of rolled metal products by 2.22% compared to the same period last year, down to 1,592.4 thousand metric tons.
According to a press release from the “Ukrmetallurgprom” association on Tuesday, 732.4 thousand metric tons were imported during this period, accounting for 45.99% of the domestic rolled steel consumption market.
According to “Ukrmetallurgprom,” in January–May 2026, Ukrainian steel companies produced 2.340 million metric tons of rolled steel (93.3% of the figure for the same period in 2025), of which, according to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, approximately 1.480 million metric tons—or 63.2%—were exported. In January–May 2025, the share of exports was 61.5% (1.541 million metric tons out of a total rolled steel production of 2.507 million metric tons).
The share of semi-finished products in export shipments in January–May 2026 was 41.22%, which is significantly higher than the figure for the first five months of 2025 (32.23%). The share of flat products in exports from January through May 2026 is virtually the same as in January through May 2025 (46.96% and 46.59%, respectively). The share of long products, however, is noticeably lower than the figure for January–May 2025 (11.82% in 2026 versus 20.18% in 2025).
The structure of imports in January–May 2026 is characterized by a marked dominance of flat-rolled products over structural steel (62.42% and 28.59%, respectively); however, in January–May 2025, the dominance of flat-rolled products over long products was significantly greater (76.83% and 21.23%, respectively).
“In January–May 2026, the domestic market capacity amounted to 1 million 592.4 thousand metric tons of rolled steel, of which 732.4 thousand metric tons, or 45.99%, consisted of imports. In January–May 2025, the domestic market capacity was 1,557.8 thousand metric tons, of which 591.8 thousand metric tons, or 37.99%, were imported. “Thus, in January–May 2026, the domestic market capacity decreased by 2.22% compared to January–May 2025, while the share of imports increased by 8%,” the press release states.
According to the State Customs Service, the main export markets for Ukrainian rolled metal in January–May 2026 were the European Union (78.6%), the rest of Europe (11.7%), and the CIS (6.9%).
Among importers of rolled metal in January–May 2026, other European countries ranked first (47.8%), followed by Asian countries (26.6%) and the EU-27 (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 steel market in 2024 contracted by 6.26% compared to the previous year—to 3 million 288.4 thousand metric tons, while in 2023 it grew 2.19 times compared to 2022—to 3 million 505.6 thousand metric tons.
EXPORTS, IMPORTS, METALLURGY, rolled metal, UKRMETALLURGPROM
