Imports of electric generators and rotating electrical converters to Ukraine in 2025 increased 2.3 times compared to 2024, reaching $1.691 billion, according to data from the State Customs Service.
According to statistics, the largest suppliers of these products in 2025 were Romania (21.8%, or $369.2 million), the Czech Republic (17.9%, $301.8 million), and Poland (11%, $191.4 million). In 2024, China (17.7%, or $130 million), the Czech Republic (16.6%, $121.5 million), and Turkey (13.5%, $99 million) were the leaders.
In December 2025, imports of electric generators and converters fell by 30.6% compared to December 2024, to $177.5 million.
The State Customs Service also recorded a slowdown in growth rates during the year: in January 2025, imports exceeded the January 2024 figure by 8 times, and the high rate (about 7-7.5 times) continued until July, after which it began to decline.
Exports of electric generators from Ukraine in 2025 remained insignificant and amounted to $3.6 million (in 2024 – $1.7 million). The main destinations for supplies were the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Bulgaria; there were no exports in December.
As reported, at the end of July 2024, Ukraine exempted the import of electric generator equipment and batteries from customs duties and VAT. According to the State Customs Service, in 2024, imports of electric generators and converters amounted to $732.5 million, which is 3.7% more than in 2023.
The Romanian government has announced the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Danube Logistics, the operator of the Giurgiulești International Free Port in the Republic of Moldova, from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The Moldovan Ministry of Economy has confirmed the legality of the transaction, emphasizing that it concerns only the private port operator and does not affect state-owned land. Final approval of the price is expected on February 11, 2026.
The Romanian side plans to invest more than €24 million in the modernization and development of Giurgiulești’s infrastructure: the goal is to integrate the port into Romania’s logistics network, expand its capacity, and strengthen the region’s role in the Danube and Black Sea transport corridors.
The port of Giurgiulești is located on a short section of Moldova’s access to the Danube, near the border with Romania and Ukraine, and is Moldova’s only port with access to sea and river routes.
The EBRD has previously noted the port’s strategic importance for Moldova’s foreign trade (over 70% of water import and export flows) and its potential as a hub that could be in demand for regional logistics, including future projects to rebuild Ukraine.
In Romania, a penitentiary institution has launched a “service advertisement” for individuals and companies: prisoners can be hired for domestic and seasonal work at a rate of about 27 lei per hour, based on a simple service contract.
The jobs advertised include chopping wood, manual earthworks, tree pruning/clearing, and clearing plots of land, ditches, and canals. The announcement also states that food and security/escort are provided by the institution, and transport to the work site can be provided separately at a rate of approximately 2 lei/km.
This refers to Penitenciarul Mioveni (Romania), as reported by the Romanian media with reference to the institution’s publication.
The context provided in the article: against the backdrop of a labor shortage, many companies in Romania are attracting workers from non-EU countries. According to data cited from a study by the Economic and Social Council (CES), of the 136,334 third-country nationals with work permits (as of the end of August), the largest groups are from Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The list of countries whose citizens are mentioned in the article as the main groups of workers from third countries includes Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Moldova, India, Bangladesh, China, Syria, Egypt, and Pakistan.
Romanian border guards are not allowing many cars arriving from Ukraine to cross the border without proof of technical inspection, according to eyewitnesses.
To cross the border, drivers are required to present a technical inspection certificate confirming that the vehicle is in good working order. It is also necessary to have documents for entry and travel, including passport documents, car papers, and insurance, and in some cases, confirmation of the purpose of the trip and a power of attorney when driving someone else’s car.
The Romanian border police previously indicated that during border control, drivers must present an identity document, a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration documents, and confirmation of a valid periodic technical inspection, which must be valid at the time of presentation at the checkpoint.
In addition, border guards remind travelers that customs restrictions on entry into Romania apply to meat and dairy products, honey, and cash in excess of €10,000, which must be declared.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, Ukrainian restaurant chain Chornomorka is entering Romania: the first establishment in Bucharest is planned to open this winter in the renovated Unirea shopping center (Piata Unirii 1).
The company is already recruiting a team: they are looking for administrators, chefs, as well as waiters, fish sellers, cooks, and a cleaning manager.
The restaurant has an area of 280 square meters and is designed to seat 98-102 people.
The Unirea shopping center (approximately 80,000 square meters) is undergoing renovation, with Colliers Romania overseeing the redesign project. At the same time, a large-scale reconstruction of Piata Unirii is underway, with work expected to take approximately two years.
According to the chain’s website, by December 2025, Chernomorka will have 40 establishments in Ukraine, Moldova, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group has acquired Tubular Products Iasi S.A. (AMTP Iasi), a pipe plant in Romania controlled by ArcelorMittal S.A. (Luxembourg), from ArcelorMittal. According to information released by the company on Wednesday, the group continues to promote synergy between the metallurgical industries of Ukraine and the EU.
It is specified that on December 16, Metinvest closed a deal to acquire ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Iași, located in the Romanian city of Iași.
The plant produces welded structural pipes for construction, mechanical engineering, infrastructure, and the agricultural sector. Its maximum capacity is 240,000 tons of products per year.
“Even before the war, Metinvest began building bridges between the metallurgical industries of Ukraine and the EU. Therefore, the new plant is a unique opportunity for us to keep two enterprises busy at once – in Iași and Zaporizhia. This is part of our contribution to post-war recovery. I am confident that the plant’s products will be in demand not only in the EU, but also in the restoration of Ukraine’s infrastructure and industry damaged by the war,” commented Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest, on the completion of the deal.
The enterprise became Metinvest’s first production site in Romania. Negotiations on the acquisition of the plant lasted several months. On November 24, 2025, the group received approval from the European Commission to acquire the asset under the European Union Merger Regulation, and the next day, approval from Romania’s national competition authority following a foreign investment screening procedure.
Metinvest’s enterprises in Ukraine have historically produced large volumes of hot-rolled coils for both the domestic market and export. The location of the asset in Romania, just 600 km from Zaporizhia, allows us to supply up to 180,000 tons of hot-rolled coils produced by Zaporizhstal annually. This will provide the Romanian plant with regular orders and stable operation,” said Metinvest’s Chief Operating Officer Alexander Mironenko.
It is also reported that in 2026, the asset is planned to be integrated into Metinvest’s production and organizational chains. The plant has five pipe mills, two longitudinal cutting lines, and two coating lines. Metinvest will comply with all the terms of the employment contracts with the employees of the enterprise in Iasi.
It should be noted that, in addition to Ukraine and Romania, the group has assets in Italy, Bulgaria, the UK, and the US.
AMTP Iasi is registered in Romania and is actively involved in the production and supply of small welded carbon steel pipes.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions – as well as in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of the Metinvest Group.
