Data extracted in February 2025
Planned article update: 23 May 2025
Highlights
This article shows how the trade between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine was disrupted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. More general information on trade with Ukraine is available in 
this excel file. This article is part of an online publication providing recent statistics on international trade in goods, covering information on the EU's main partners, main goods traded, specific characteristics of trade as well as background information.
Latest developments
In Q4 2024 compared with the previous quarter, EU imports from Ukraine (-1.8% ) decreased while EU exports to Ukraine (+9.3% ) increased (Figure 1). Compared with the same quarter of the previous year imports and exports increased by +9.2% and +16.7% respectively. Imports peaked in the Q4 2022, while exports peaked in Q4 2024. The EU trade surplus with Ukraine peaked in Q4 2024 at €5.8 billion.
(€ billion, seasonally adjusted)
Source: Eurostat dataset ext_st_eu27_2020sitc
When looking at the changes in Ukraine's share in extra-EU imports, they were 1.0% both in Q1 2022 and in Q4 2024 (Figure 2). By contrast, the share for Ukraine in extra-EU exports has been steadily increasing from 1.0% in Q1 2022 to 1.8% in Q4 2024.
(% share in extra-EU trade, seasonally adjusted)
Source: Eurostat dataset ext_st_eu27_2020sitc
Since Q1 2021, with the exception of the Q1 2022, the EU has had a trade surplus with Ukraine. Since Q3 2022 there were deficits for food, drinks and tobacco and for raw materials. However, the large surpluses for machinery and vehicles combined with surpluses in the other product groups were much larger, resulting in a substantial overall trade surplus.
(€ billion)
Source: Eurostat dataset (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc)
Key product groups imported by the EU from Ukraine
This section focuses on 6 products that were selected because of their share in total extra-EU imports or their absolute value. Because several of these products have a strong seasonal component, they can only be analysed meaningfully over 12-month periods.
The EU adopted a regulation allowing for temporary full trade liberalisation and the suspension of trade defence measures on 4 June 2022, resulting in a sharp increase in EU imports from Ukraine for several agricultural products. This caused distortions in markets for these products in countries neighbouring Ukraine, leading to the imposition of temporary restrictive measures on a series of Ukrainian foodstuff exports on 2 May 2023. These measures ended on 15 September 2023 while at the same time Ukraine was to put in place effective measures to control the export of these products[1]. It is important to keep these measures in mind when reading this article.
Figure 4 illustrates the share of 6 selected products in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The comparison between 2023 and 2024 shows that imports from Ukraine of rape or colza seeds, soya bean oil, maize, sunflower oil and iron and steel increased while the share for wood decreased.
In the following sections, the evolution of EU imports since 2021 for all 6 products is presented in terms of value, volume and unit value. In addition, the shares in imports by partner are shown for 2022, 2023 and 2024.
EU imports of sunflower oil
In Q4 2024, EU imports of sunflower oil from Ukraine, measured in volume, were 26 percentage points (pp) above the level of Q4 2021. Since unit prices had decreased their value increased by 14 pp. EU imports of sunflower oil follow the same monthly pattern, in terms of trade value and volume, which is strongly connected to their production period (Figure 5). Russia's invasion led to a sharp increase in unit values in Q2 2022. In the following quarters, unit values went down progressively but are increasing again in the last three quarters.
value, indexed at 100 in Q1 2021
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
Between Q4 2022 and Q4 2024, Ukraine's share in the extra-EU imports of sunflower oil decreased from 94% to 79% (Figure 6).
EU imports of maize
In the Q4 2024, EU imports of maize from Ukraine, measured in volume as well as in value, were around 30 pp above the level of Q4 2021 (Figure 7). Similarly to sunflower oil, the infra-annual developments of EU imports of maize are visible in the value and volume index, both peaking in Q1 2023.
value, indexed at 100 in Q1 2021
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
Between Q4 2022 and Q4 2024, Ukraine's share in the extra-EU imports of maize decreased from 67% to 47% (Figure 8). Throughout this period, Brazil was the second largest partner for maize imports.
EU imports of rape/colza seeds
In Q4 2024, EU imports of rape or colza seeds from Ukraine, measured in volume, were much higher than in Q4 2021 (Figure 9). However, since unit prices dropped considerably, the value of these imports decreased in this period. EU imports of rape or colza seeds from the Ukraine have a strong seasonal component.
value, indexed at 100 in Q1 2021
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
Between Q4 2022 and Q4 2024, Ukraine's share in the extra-EU imports of rape or colza seeds decreased from 56% to 32% (Figure 10). This meant that Australia, whose share increased from 35% to 58%, overtook Ukraine and became the largest origin for imports of rape or colza seeds.
(%)
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
EU imports of wood
In Q4 2024, EU imports of wood from Ukraine, measured in volume, decreased by 10 pp compared with the level of Q4 2021. Since unit prices dropped by 37 pp their value decreased by 17 pp in this period (Figure 11). The unit price for the EU's imports of wood peaked in Q2 2022.
value, indexed at 100 in Q1 2021
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
Between Q4 2022 and Q4 2024, Ukraine's share in the extra-EU imports of wood remained at 12% (Figure 12). This made it the second largest supplier of wood to the EU behind China (21%).
EU imports of iron and steel
In Q4 2024, EU imports of iron and steel from Ukraine, measured in volume, decreased by 48 pp compared with the level of Q4 2021. Since unit prices decreased by 47 pp their value decreased by 98 pp (Figure 13). Both volume and value of the EU's imports of iron and steel from Ukraine increased strongly in the beginning of 2021 as demand and unit values increased following the economies' gradual recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Imports declined in late 2021, and did not return to pre-Russian invasion levels.
value, indexed at 100 in Q1 2021
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
Between Q4 2022 and Q4 2024, Ukraine's share in the extra-EU imports of iron and steel fell from 5% to 4% (Figure 14). China, Russia and Türkiye (all 10%) became the largest suppliers, just ahead of India (9%) and South Korea (8%).
EU imports of soya bean oil
In Q4 2024, EU imports of soya bean oil from Ukraine, measured in volume, were 129 pp above the level of Q4 2021. Since unit prices had dropped by 30 pp their value increased by 89 pp (Figure 15). The volume and value of extra-EU imports of soya bean oil from Ukraine fluctuated strongly in this period. The unit price for the EU's imports of soya bean oil peaked in Q2 2022 but dropped considerably in the following quarters.
value, indexed at 100 in Q1 2021
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
Between Q4 2022 and the Q3 2024, Ukraine's share in the extra-EU imports of soya bean oil decreased from 45% to 38% (Figure 16). In these two quarters, Argentina was the second largest supplier.
Main product groups in EU exports to Ukraine
In absolute terms in value, the largest product groups exported to Ukraine in 2022 were fuels, electrical machinery, vehicles, machinery and pharmaceutical products - see Table 1. Between Q1 2021 and the Q4 2024 exports of these 5 products increased. The largest increase was for fuels (+€1.5 billion). The volume of these exports is shown in Table 2.
(€ million, quarterly data)
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
(1 000 tonnes, quarterly data)
Source: Eurostat Comext DS-045409
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
EU data is taken from Eurostat's COMEXT database. COMEXT is the reference database for international trade in goods. It provides access not only to both recent and historical data from the EU Member States but also to statistics of a significant number of non-EU countries. International trade aggregated and detailed statistics disseminated via the Eurostat website are compiled from COMEXT data according to a monthly process.
Data are collected by the competent national authorities of the EU Member States and compiled according to a harmonised methodology established by EU regulations before transmission to Eurostat. For extra-EU trade, the statistical information is mainly provided by the traders on the basis of customs declarations.
EU data are compiled according to EU guidelines and may, therefore, differ from national data published by the Member States. Statistics on extra-EU trade are calculated as the sum of trade of each of the 27 EU Member States with countries outside the EU. In other words, the EU is considered as a single trading entity and trade flows are measured into and out of the area, but not within it.
Methodology
According to EU concepts and definitions, extra-EU trade statistics (trade between EU Member States and non-EU countries) do not record exchanges involving goods in transit, placed in a customs warehouse or given temporary admission (for trade fairs, temporary exhibitions, tests, etc.). This is known as 'special trade'. The partner is the country of final destination of the goods for exports and the country of origin for imports.
Product classification
Information on commodities exported and imported is presented according to the Harmonised System for product classification. A full description is available here.
Unit of measure
Trade values are expressed in millions or billions (109) of euros. They correspond to the statistical value, i.e. to the amount which would be invoiced in case of sale or purchase at the national border of the reporting country. It is called a FOB value (free on board) for exports and a CIF value (cost, insurance, freight) for imports.
Context
Trade is an important indicator of Europe's prosperity and place in the world. The bloc is deeply integrated into global markets both for the products it sources and the exports it sells. The EU trade policy is one of the main pillars of the EU's relations with the rest of the world.
Because the 27 EU Member States share a single market and a single external border, they also have a single trade policy. EU Member States speak and negotiate collectively, both in the World Trade Organisation, where the rules of international trade are agreed and enforced, and with individual trading partners. This common policy enables them to speak with one voice in trade negotiations, maximising their impact in such negotiations. This is even more important in a globalised world in which economies tend to cluster together in regional groups.
The openness of the EU's trade regime has meant that the EU is the biggest player on the global trading scene and remains a good region to do business with. Thanks to the ease of modern transport and communications, it is now easier to produce, buy and sell goods around the world which gives European companies of every size the potential to trade outside Europe.