Where does Ukraine buy food from?
The main source of imports remains the countries of the European Union. In January-June, it fell on them 54% of all deliveries, or about $2.54 billion.
Another $812 million was spent by Ukrainian companies on the purchase of food in Asian countries. The share of Asian suppliers was 17.3%.
Ukraine also imported $379 million worth of agricultural products from Latin America and $256 million from Africa.
Poland remains the largest supplier
Among individual countries, it became the leader in the volume of deliveries Poland — $568 million.
Next in the ranking were:
- Germany — $341 million;
- Turkey — $309 million;
- Italy — $221 million;
- Netherlands — $207 million;
- France — $199 million;
- Norway — $180 million;
- Romania — $161 million;
- Ecuador — $146 million;
- China — $136 million.
In total, these ten countries accounted for 52% of the value of all agricultural imports of Ukraine.
Almost a quarter more alcohol was bought
One of the most noticeable trends was the increase in the import of beverages.
During the first half of the year, Ukraine purchased of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for $461 million. This is almost 25% more than in the same period last year.
The main part of this amount is $342 million — fell on strong alcohol, wine and beer.
Thus, this category has become one of the most dynamic in the structure of food imports.
Fish and seafood have also become more expensive
They remain another large category fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
In six months, their import reached $501 million, having increased by approximately 13% over the year.
The largest part of purchases was frozen fish — $233 million. For comparison, last year during this period it was imported for approximately $196 million.
Fruits and berries: imports increased by 13%
Ukraine also increased purchases of fruit and berry products. In the first half of the year, its import was $532 million, which is almost 13% more than a year earlier.
The basis of this category is products that are impossible or difficult to grow in sufficient quantities in Ukraine, in particular citrus fruits, bananas, exotic fruits and nuts.
Vegetables, on the contrary, were imported less
Against the background of the growth of most large categories, the import of vegetables decreased.
In six months, Ukraine bought vegetables abroad for $247 million, which is 30% less than last year.
Tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes and sweet peppers were mainly imported. The reduction in purchases is associated with the situation on the domestic market and changes in supply volumes.
Why imports can continue to grow
Experts of the Institute of Agrarian Economics pay attention to the logistical factor. Close 80% of food imports arrive in Ukraine via overland routes, which currently have lower risks compared to sea routes.
This creates conditions for a further increase in imports until the end of the year.
At the same time, the growth of imports means not only greater availability of goods for consumers, but also increased competition for Ukrainian manufacturers. This especially applies to categories where imported products can compete with Ukrainian products in terms of price or assortment.
Imports are already significantly ahead of exports
The growth of food imports is taking place against the background of the general increase in Ukraine's trade turnover. In seven months of 2026, he reached $82.2 billion.
At the same time, the import of goods was $58.1 billion, while exports — $24.1 billion.
That is, Ukraine continues to purchase significantly more goods abroad than it sells to foreign markets. For the food sector, this means both greater choice for consumers and additional competitive pressure on domestic producers.
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