Year over year, the overall value of Ukrainian imported goods rose 15.1% starting from $55.2 billion for 2022.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2023, the Ukrainian hryvnia depreciated by -41.5% against the US dollar since 2019 and fell by -13.1% from 2022 to 2023. Ukraine’s weaker local currency makes Ukraine’s imports paid for in the comparatively stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the weaker Ukrainian hryvnia.
Major Suppliers of Ukrainian Imports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 70.8% of products imported into Ukraine was supplied by exporters in: mainland China (35.6% of the Ukrainian total), Poland (7.5%), Germany (5.2%), Türkiye (5.1%), United States of America (4%), Italy (2.8%), Bulgaria (2.7%), India (2.16%), Czech Republic (also 2.16%), France (1.8%), Slovakia (1.7%) and Romania (1.3%).
Applying a continental lens to the latest data, over half (55.8%) of Ukraine’s total imports by value was purchased from fellow European countries. Asian trade partners supplied 36.6% of imports purchased by Ukraine, while another 5.3% worth of goods originated from North America.
Tinier percentages came from suppliers in Africa (1.1%), Latin American countries (1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.2%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Ukraine’s population of 33.2 million people, its total $63.6 billion in 2023 imports translates to roughly $1,900 in yearly product demand from every person in the Eastern European nation. That dollar metric falls exceeds the country’s average $1,600 per capita for 2022.
Ukraine’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Ukraine’s import purchases during 2023, at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Ukraine.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$10.4 billion (16.3% of total imports)
- Vehicles: $7 billion (11%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $6 billion (9.4%)
- Machinery including computers: $5.3 billion (8.3%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $2.8 billion (4.4%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $2.14 billion (3.4%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $1.4 billion (2.3%)
- Iron, steel: $1.3 billion (2.1%)
- Fertilizers: $1.23 billion (1.9%)
- Other chemical goods: $1.22 billion (1.9%)
Ukraine’s top 10 imports were about three-fifths (60.9%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
The fastest growers among Ukraine’s top import categories were imported fertilizers (up 54.5% from 2022), iron or steel (up 37.2%) and vehicles (up 33.4%).
There was a pair of year-over-year decliners among the top Ukrainian imports: mineral fuels including oil (down -19% from 2022) and miscellaneous chemical goods (down -7%).
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.
Information presented below is from the more granular 4-digit HTS code perspective.
Focusing on the 4-digit HTS codes, Ukraine’s top 10 imported products are refined petroleum oils (12.3% of the Ukrainian total), cars (6.4%), petroleum gases (3%), medication mixes in dosage (2.7%), phone devices including smartphones (1.8%), tractors (1.31%), packaged insecticides, fungicides and herbicides (also 1.31%), trucks (1.18%), computers including optical readers (1.16%), then electric generating sets or converters (1.1%).
Ukraine’s Imports of Mineral Fuels Including Oil
In 2023, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related energy products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$7.8 billion (down -9.6% from 2022)
- Petroleum gases: $1.9 billion (down -10%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $185.4 million (down -84.3%)
- Electrical energy: $154.6 million (down -10.3%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $129.5 million (down -25.6%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $125.3 million (down -5.7%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $13.9 million (down -14.2%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $6.2 million (down -17.9%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $6.1 million (up 173.7%)
- Tar pitch, coke: $5.1 million (down -7.3%)
Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of asphalt or petroleum bitumen mixes (up 173.7%) grew from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of mineral fuels-related energy imports among Ukrainian businesses and consumers.
Ukraine’s Imports of Vehicles
In 2023, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles-related goods.
- Cars: US$4.1 billion (up 37.8% from 2022)
- Tractors: $830.8 million (up 4.8%)
- Trucks: $747.8 million (up 77.5%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $574.8 million (up 42%)
- Trailers: $372.8 million (up 8.9%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $164.2 million (up 8.8%)
- Motorcycles: $55.7 million (up 49.4%)
- Automobile bodies: $55 million (up 32.9%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $50.8 million (up 29.7%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $14.8 million (up 16.7%)
Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of trucks (up 77.5%), motorcycles (up 49.4%) then automobile parts or accessories (up 42%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of vehicles-related imports among Ukrainian businesses and consumers.
Ukraine’s Imports of Electrical Products
In 2023, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$1.2 billion (up 13.6% from 2022)
- Electric generating sets, converters: $707 million (up 2.7%)
- Electric storage batteries: $466.1 million (up 72.1%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $435 million (down -4.9%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $347.2 million (up 7.2%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $320.3 million (up 5.5%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $285.7 million (up 67%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $242.5 million (up 39.3%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $235.6 million (up 1%)
- TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras: $154.4 million (up 55.2%)
Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of electric storage batteries (up 72.1%), electrical converters and power units (up 67%) then television receivers, transmitters and digital cameras (up 55.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of electronics-related imports among Ukrainian businesses and consumers.
Ukraine’s Imports of Machinery Including Computers
In 2023, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$739.9 million (up 16% from 2022)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $247.8 million (up 21.7%)
- Harvest/threshing machinery: $245.9 million (down -12.2%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $228.7 million (up 36.2%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $221 million (up 26.2%)
- Machinery for soil preparation, cultivation: $194.2 million (up 73.1%)
- Soil preparation machinery: $188.6 million (down -0.6%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $188.1 million (up 31%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $156.7 million (up 53.1%)
- Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $155.2 million (up 17.8%)
Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of nuclear reactors and fuel elements (up 73.1%), miscellaneous machinery (up 53.1%) then refrigerators and freezers: (up 36.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage changes within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of machinery-related imports among Ukrainian businesses and consumers.
See also Ukraine’s Top 10 Exports, Russia’s Top 10 Imports, Wheat Imports by Country and Most Valuable Red Meat Import Markets by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook report on Europe: Ukraine. Accessed on May 14, 2024
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on May 14, 2024
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 14, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 14, 2024