In the first quarter of 2025, imports to Ukraine exceeded exports by two times

In the first quarter of 2025, Ukraine's foreign trade balance again turned out to be negative - imports of goods significantly exceeded exports. According to the State Customs Service, in January-March, goods worth $18.5 billion were imported to Ukraine, while exports amounted to only $9.9 billion. Thus, the volume of imports exceeded the volume of exports by almost two times.

The most active trade partners of Ukraine in the import sector remain China, Poland and Germany. In particular, goods worth $3.9 billion were imported from China, $1.7 billion from Poland, and $1.5 billion from Germany. This indicates the stable dependence of the Ukrainian economy on goods of foreign production, especially from Asian and European markets.

At the same time, Ukraine's export opportunities were concentrated mainly on European countries. The largest number of goods was exported to Poland — $1.1 billion, Italy — $680 million, and Spain — $650 million. These directions remain key for the sale of Ukrainian products, in particular agricultural products.

The structure of imports is dominated by high-tech goods and products for industrial use. Thus, the largest share of imported goods (68%) was accounted for by machinery, equipment and vehicles — worth $6.8 billion. In second place — chemical industry products ($3.2 billion), and in third place was fuel and energy products — $2.5 billion. This indicates Ukraine's significant need to import strategic resources and technologies.

The structure of Ukrainian exports is dominated by food products, which brought in $5.8 billion in foreign exchange earnings in three months. Metals and products made from them provided $1.1 billion, and machinery, equipment and transport — $882 million. This structure indicates that Ukraine remains a supplier of raw materials and agricultural products, while losing ground in the segment of high-tech exports.

Although the current trade situation demonstrates a deep imbalance, it also highlights the importance of further integrating Ukraine into global production chains. To reduce import dependence and increase exports with high added value, it is necessary to continue modernizing the economy, supporting innovative production, and stimulating the processing industry.