According to Experts.news, China’s foreign trade in goods reached 45.47 trillion yuan in 2025, up 3.8% from the previous year, said Ma Shengkun, China’s ambassador to Ukraine.
“In 2025, the total volume of China’s imports and exports of goods reached 45.47 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.8% year-over-year.
Imports totaled a record 18.48 trillion yuan,” the diplomat wrote in his column on the Interfax-Ukraine website.
According to him, China has remained the world’s second-largest import market for the 17th consecutive year and is the main trading partner for more than 160 countries and regions.
The ambassador also noted that in 2025, China’s imports from the least developed countries increased by 9%, while imports from Asia rose by 3.9%, from Latin America by 4.9%, and from Africa by 6%.
Ma Shengkun highlighted the growth of the high-tech segment of Chinese exports. According to the data he cited, exports of high-tech products reached 5.25 trillion yuan in 2025, an increase of 13.2%.
In particular, total exports of electric vehicles, photovoltaic products, and lithium batteries—referred to in China as the “new trio” of export goods—rose by 27.1%.
As previously reported, China remains Ukraine’s largest trading partner. According to a study by the Experts Club information and analytical center, Ukraine’s trade turnover with China reached $14.68 billion in the first half of 2026, including $13.9 billion in imports of Chinese goods and $778.4 million in exports of Ukrainian goods to China. China accounted for 21.9% of Ukraine’s total trade with its 50 largest trading partners.
According to the latest data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in January–August 2026, China retained its top position among suppliers of goods to Ukraine, with imports exceeding $19.6 billion. Ukraine’s total imports during this period amounted to nearly $66.3 billion, while exports totaled over $26.6 billion.
A joint study by Experts Club and Active Group published on September 18 also noted that China remains Ukraine’s largest trading partner; however, Ukrainian exports to the Chinese market lag significantly behind imports from China.
In January–August 2026, Ukraine increased its imports of tin and tin products 2.4-fold compared to the same period last year, reaching $6.352 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, imports of tin and tin products in August totaled $830,000.
Exports of tin and tin products in January–August 2026 totaled $740,000, and in August—$45,000, compared to $104,000 in January–August 2025.
As previously reported, Ukraine increased its imports of tin and tin products by 36.5% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching $4.352 million. Exports of tin and tin products totaled $241,000, compared to $389,000 for the 12 months of 2024.
Tin is used primarily as a safe, non-toxic, corrosion-resistant coating, either in its pure form or in alloys with other metals. The main industrial applications of tin are in tinplate (tinned iron) for the manufacture of food packaging, in solders for electronics, in plumbing pipes, in bearing alloys, and in coatings made of tin and its alloys. The most important tin alloy is bronze (with copper).
In January–August 2026, Ukraine reduced imports of zinc and zinc products by 35% compared to the same period last year, down to $24.126 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, imports of zinc and zinc products in August totaled $3.306 million.
Zinc exports for the eight-month period totaled $1,108 million; in August, they amounted to $189,000, compared to $888,000 in January–August 2025.
As previously reported, Ukraine reduced its imports of zinc and zinc products by 9.6% in 2025 compared to 2024, down to $52.982 million. Zinc exports last year reached $1.234 million, whereas in 2024 they totaled $563,000.
Pure metallic zinc is used to recover precious metals, protect steel from corrosion, and for other purposes.
Electricity exports from Ukraine on September 14–20 decreased by 17.3% compared to the previous week, to 109.3 thousand MWh, while imports increased by 12.2%—to 18.6 thousand MWh.
“Overall, electricity sales were nearly six times higher than purchases,” the DIXI Group analytical center reported on Wednesday, citing data from Energy Map.
As the center noted, weather conditions had the greatest impact on electricity trade during the reporting period. A cloudy start to the week, combined with a gradual seasonal decline in solar power generation, reduced the daytime power surplus, and the largest decline in exports occurred during daylight hours. At the same time, comfortable temperatures, mostly without precipitation, did not create peak loads on the power grid. Industrial consumption remained low due to Russian attacks.
According to Energy Map, Hungary accounted for the largest share of last week’s exports—53.8 thousand MWh, or 49.2%. Moldova accounted for 36,2 thousand MWh (33.1%), Romania for 19,0 thousand MWh (17.4%), and Poland for 0,3 thousand MWh (0.3%).
Compared to the previous week, exports declined across all destinations: to Poland by 72% (due to insignificant supply volumes), to Romania by 28%, to Moldova by 22%, and to Hungary by 8%. Exports to Slovakia remained at zero.
Hungary also remained the main source of imports, accounting for 8,900 MWh (47.8%). Poland accounted for 5,900 MWh (31.4%), Romania for 3,800 MWh (20.6%), and Moldova for 0.04 thousand MWh (0.2%).
As previously reported, in August 2026, electricity imports to Ukraine increased by 5% compared to July—to 184,000 MWh—while exports jumped by 63.8% to 380,900 MWh, marking the highest monthly export volume since September 2025. As a result, Ukraine maintained its status as a net exporter for the second consecutive month: sales exceeded purchases by nearly double.
Imports of trucks to Ukraine from January through August 2026 declined by 1.1% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2025—to $627.5 million, according to statistics from the State Customs Service.
According to the published data, imports of these vehicles rose by 13.5% in August compared to August 2025, reaching $80.1 million.
As in the previous year, the largest number of trucks in January–August were imported from Poland, but imports from that country fell by 24%—to $98.8 million—and its share of total truck imports decreased to 15.74% from 20.5%.
Germany became the second-largest supplier of trucks to Ukraine, with exports totaling $88.4 million; in January–August 2025, it had not been among the top three suppliers.
Imports from Italy, which also was not among the top three truck suppliers a year ago, totaled $68.9 million (nearly 11%).
In January–August of last year, the top three truck suppliers were Poland, France, and the United States.
Imports of trucks from all other countries during this period increased by 20.5%—to $371.4 million.
At the same time, according to statistics, Ukraine exported only $2.17 million worth of trucks over the eight-month period, mostly to Turkey, while a year ago, exports totaled nearly $4 million—also primarily to Turkey.
As previously reported, in 2025, imports of trucks into Ukraine increased by 5.5% compared to 2024—to $999.5 million, with the largest volumes coming from France—$169.2 million (42.8% more than the year before last), Poland—$162.7 million (-14.7%), and the United States—$109 million (+2%).
In January–August of this year, Ukrainian companies reduced their consumption of rolled metal by 9.64% compared to the same period last year, down to 2.546 million metric tons.
According to a press release from the “Ukrmetallurgprom” association, 1.151 million metric tons were imported during this period, accounting for 37% of the domestic rolled steel consumption market.
According to “Ukrmetallurgprom,” in January–August 2026, Ukrainian steel mills produced 3.591 million metric tons of rolled steel (84.4% of the level recorded during the same period in 2025), of which, according to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, approximately 2.196 million metric tons—or 61.2%—were exported. In
January–August 2025, the share of exports was 58.3% (2.481 million metric tons out of a total rolled steel production of 4.256 million metric tons).
“In January–August 2026, the domestic market capacity was 2.546 million metric tons of rolled metal products, of which 1.151 million metric tons, or 45.21%, consisted of imports. In January–August 2025, the domestic market capacity was 2,815,500 metric tons, of which 1,042,500 metric tons, or 37%, were imported. “Thus, in January–August 2026, the domestic market capacity decreased by 9.64% compared to January–August of last year, while the share of imports increased by 8.21%,” the press release states.
The share of semi-finished products in export shipments in January–August 2026 was 41.44%, which is significantly higher than the figure for the same period last year (32.37%). The share of flat-rolled products in exports matches that of January–August of last year (44.22% and 44.38%, respectively), while the share of long products is noticeably lower (14.34% versus 23.26%, respectively).
The structure of imports in January–August of this year is characterized by a noticeable dominance of flat-rolled products over long products (67.98% and 25.97%, respectively); however, in January–August 2025, the dominance of flat-rolled products over long products was significantly greater (70.24% and 20.96%).
According to the State Customs Service, the main export markets for Ukrainian rolled metal in January–August 2026 were the European Union (82.3%), the rest of Europe (9.1%), and the CIS (6.7%).
Among steel importers for the first 8 months of 2026, other European countries ranked first (49.0%), followed by Asian countries (26.1%), and the EU-27 (16.8%).
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 shrank by 6.26% in 2024 compared to the previous year—to 3,288,400 metric tons—while in 2023 it increased 2.19-fold compared to 2022—to 3,505,600 metric tons.
