Ukraine’s Top 10 Imports 2020

The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Ukraine’s import purchases during 2020, 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.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$7.8 billion (14.4% of total imports)
2. Machinery including computers: $6.1 billion (11.3%)
3. Vehicles: $5.5 billion (10.2%)
4. Electrical machinery, equipment: $5.4 billion (9.9%)
5. Pharmaceuticals: $2.52 billion (4.7%)
6. Plastics, plastic articles: $2.48 billion (4.6%)
7. Other chemical goods: $1.3 billion (2.5%)
8. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $1.2 billion (2.3%)
9. Iron, steel: $1 billion (1.9%)
10. Rubber, rubber articles: $927.6 million (1.7%)

Ukraine’s top 10 imports approached two-thirds (63.5%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.

Optical, technical and medical apparatus represents Ukraine’s fastest grower among its top import categories via an 18.4% increase from 2019 to 2020. The second-fastest gainer was the pharmaceuticals category up by 17.7%, trailed by the 0.4% increase for Ukraine’s imports of miscellaneous chemical goods.

Mineral fuels including oil posted the steepest decline year over year due to a -36.3% drop.

Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under the adjacent virtual folder tabs labeled with product groupings is at the more granular 4-digit level.

In 2020, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related energy products.

1. Processed petroleum oils: US$3.4 billion (down -37.4% from 2019)
2. Petroleum gases: $1.8 billion (down -38.7%)
3. Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $1.7 billion (down -40.1%)
4. Crude oil: $394.9 million (down -4.2%)
5. Petroleum oil residues: $255.8 million (up 24.7%)
6. Electrical energy: $131.5 million (up 8.4%)
7. Coke, semi-coke: $82.4 million (down -68.7%)
8. Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $10.4 million (down -2.6%)
9. Tar pitch, coke: $8.2 million (down -48.8%)
10. Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $8.0 million (up 0.03%)

Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of petroleum oil residues (up 24.7%), electrical energy (up 8.4%) then asphalt or petroleum bitumen mixes (up 0.03%) grew from 2019 to 2020.

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.

In 2020, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.

1. Computers, optical readers: US$618.3 million (up 1.3% from 2019)
2. Refrigerators, freezers: $323.7 million (up 13.5%)
3. Harvest/threshing machinery: $271.9 million (down -3.3%)
4. Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $267.9 million (up 1.1%)
5. Agricultural/horticultural/forestry machiner: $243.7 million (up 3.3%)
6. Machinery for soil preparation, cultivation: $231.8 million (down -14.7%)
7. Miscellaneous machinery: $225.7 million (down -20.3%)
8. Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $221.9 million (up 13.9%)
9. Nuclear reactors, fuel elements: $213.4 million (down -47%)
10. Liquid pumps and elevators: $204.6 million (up 4.3%)

Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of heavy machinery like bulldozers and excavators (up 13.9%), refrigerators or freezers (up 13.5%) then liquid pumps and elevators (up 4.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2019 to 2020.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of machinery -related imports among Ukrainian businesses and consumers.

In 2020, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles-related goods.

1. Cars: US$3.5 billion (down -3.1% from 2019)
2. Tractors: $520.6 million (down -14.8%)
3. Automobile parts/accessories: $502.5 million (up 3.2%)
4. Trucks: $414.5 million (down -5.7%)
5. Trailers: $185.6 million (down -11.1%)
6. Special purpose vehicles: $121.5 million (down -22.9%)
7. Automobile bodies: $64.9 million (down -18.5%)
8. Public-transport vehicles: $64.2 million (down -13.6%)
9. Motorcycles: $54.8 million (up 26%)
10. Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $23.2 million (down -19.2%)

Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of motorcycles (up 26%) and automobile parts or accessories (up 3.2%) grew from 2019 to 2020.

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.

In 2020, Ukrainian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronics.

1. Phone system devices including smartphones: US$1.1 billion (up 14.4% from 2019)
2. Insulated wire/cable: $498.3 million (down -13.4%)
3. TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $375.5 million (up 16.9%)
4. Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $362.1 million (down -1.7%)
5. Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $346.1 million (up 11.8%)
6. Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $315.6 million (down -75.7%)
7. Electric generating sets, converters: $314 million (down -22.8%)
8. Electrical converters/power units: $214.3 million (down -45%)
9. Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $170.5 million (down -12.3%)
10. TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras: $149.3 million (up 4.8%)

Among these import subcategories, Ukrainian purchases of television receivers, monitors and projectors (up 16.9%), phone system devices including smartphones (up 14.4%) then electric water heaters or hair dryers (up 11.8%) grew at the fastest pace from 2019 to 2020.

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.