In 2023, we are seeing positive trends in the recovery of Ukrainian agricultural exports to Asia. During the first half of this year, the total turnover of foreign trade in agri-food products between Ukraine and Asian countries reached 4351 million USD, which marks an increase of 4% compared to the corresponding figure of 2022, which amounted to 4181 million USD.

According to Mykola Pugachev, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences and Deputy Director of the National Research Center "Institute of Agrarian Economics", in 2023, Ukraine's exports of agricultural goods increased by USD 168 million, reaching USD 3,755 million. At the same time, imports remained virtually unchanged at the previous level and amounted to 596 million USD. This led to a further increase in the positive balance in Ukraine's foreign trade with Asian countries, which amounted to USD 3160 million.

To date, the main consumers of Ukrainian agricultural products in the Asian region are China, Turkey, India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iraq. Their combined purchases account for approximately 89% of the total value of Ukraine's exports to this region. Interestingly, China and Turkey together account for more than 70% of all regional purchases made by our country.

The largest suppliers of agricultural raw materials and food from Asia to Ukraine in 2023 were Turkey, China, India, and Indonesia, which together accounted for more than 80% of the total value of imports in this region.

Asian countries continue to actively import traditional Ukrainian products, such as cereals, oils and fats, oilseeds, food processing residues, meat and offal.

Although the foreign food trade between Ukraine and Asia has not yet reached the level of 2021 due to restrictions on the use of seaports, the Asian region remains a key destination for Ukrainian agricultural companies due to its large consumer market and diverse agricultural production.