01Key Takeaways
- Ukraine imported $63.56 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 15.1% from $55.22 billion in 2022, the steepest single-year gain in this five-year dataset and the most recent year with verified trade data available.
- Mineral fuels led every import category at 16.3% ($10.36 billion), with vehicles ranking second at 11.0% ($6.97 billion).
- China was Ukraine's largest import partner, supplying 16.4% of imports, worth $10.44 billion.
- The top three import partners together accounted for 34.7% of total import value.
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $60.8B | $53.7B | $70.0B | $55.2B | $63.6B |
03Top Import Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | $10.4B | 16.4% |
| 2 | Poland | $6.6B | 10.3% |
| 3 | Germany | $5.1B | 8.0% |
| 4 | Turkey | $4.7B | 7.4% |
| 5 | United States | $2.9B | 4.5% |
| 6 | Italy | $2.3B | 3.6% |
| 7 | Bulgaria | $2.2B | 3.5% |
| 8 | India | $1.9B | 3.0% |
| 9 | Czechia | $1.8B | 2.8% |
| 10 | France | $1.8B | 2.8% |
04Top Import Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $10.4B | 16.3% |
| 2 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $7.0B | 11.0% |
| 3 | Electrical Machinery and Equipment and parts thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of such Articles | $6.0B | 9.4% |
| 4 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $5.3B | 8.3% |
| 5 | Commodities not specified according to kind | $4.9B | 7.7% |
| 6 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $2.8B | 4.4% |
| 7 | Pharmaceutical Products | $2.1B | 3.4% |
| 8 | Optical, Photographic, Cinematographic, Measuring, Checking, Precision, Medical or Surgical Instruments and Apparatus; Parts and Accessories thereof | $1.4B | 2.3% |
| 9 | Iron and Steel | $1.3B | 2.1% |
| 10 | Fertilisers | $1.2B | 1.9% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Import Value Rebounded Sharply in 2023 After a Wartime Dip
Ukraine imported $63.56 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 15.1% from $55.22 billion in 2022. This is the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset. The dataset covers a full five years, from 2019 through 2023, tracking the import side of trade for the same war-affected economy covered on the export side of this dataset.
Import value stood at $60.80 billion in 2019. It eased to $53.67 billion in 2020, then jumped to $69.96 billion in 2021, the high point of this five-year window. Import value then fell sharply to $55.22 billion in 2022 before rebounding to $63.56 billion in 2023.
This dataset does not explain either the 2022 drop or the 2023 rebound. Import value in 2023 nonetheless remains below the 2021 peak, though roughly in line with the 2019 starting level. A gain of 15.1% marks the steepest single-year increase across this entire period. That rebound moves in the opposite direction from the export side of trade for this same country, where value fell for a second straight year in 2023. Import value and export value are now moving in opposite directions for the first time in this five-year window.
Fuel and Vehicles Anchor an Import List Tied to Wartime Reconstruction
Mineral fuels led every import category in 2023, worth $10.36 billion, or 16.3% of the total, by a narrow margin the largest single category on this list. Russian attacks have destroyed a large share of Ukraine's power generation capacity, driving international donors and Ukraine itself to supply fuel, generators and grid equipment to keep the system running. That reliance is consistent with mineral fuels, machinery and electrical machinery all ranking among the top import categories here. Vehicles ranked second at 11.0%, worth $6.97 billion. Vehicle imports likely span both civilian replacement demand and equipment tied to reconstruction and relief efforts underway across the country.
Electrical machinery and equipment contributed 9.4%, worth $5.96 billion, and machinery and mechanical appliances added 8.3%, worth $5.30 billion. These three categories, fuel, vehicles and machinery, together account for well over a third of total import value.
A grouping recorded in trade statistics as "commodities not specified according to kind" ranked fifth at 7.7%, worth $4.92 billion. This is a classification covering goods that do not fit a standard product category. Plastics contributed 4.4% ($2.80 billion), and pharmaceutical products added 3.4% ($2.14 billion). Optical, measuring and medical instruments contributed 2.3%, worth $1.43 billion, and iron and steel added 2.1%, worth $1.31 billion. Fertilizers closed out the top ten at 1.9%, worth $1.23 billion, the smallest share among all ten categories on this list. A long tail of chemicals, instruments and industrial materials fills out the rest of this list. These ten categories span energy, transport, machinery and chemicals, reflecting an economy importing both immediate necessities and inputs for longer-term recovery.
China, Poland and Germany Lead a Moderately Concentrated Partner List
China was Ukraine's largest import partner in 2023, taking 16.4% of imports, worth $10.44 billion. Poland ranked second at 10.3%, worth $6.58 billion. Germany followed at 8.0%, worth $5.06 billion. Together, these top three partners accounted for 34.7% of total import value, a moderate concentration level for a top-three grouping. That level of concentration sits between the tighter clustering seen in some smaller economies and the broader spread seen in others.
Turkey contributed 7.4% ($4.72 billion), and United States added 4.5% ($2.87 billion). Italy followed at 3.6% ($2.28 billion), and Bulgaria added 3.5% ($2.22 billion). These middle-ranked partners span Southern and Eastern Europe alongside the United States, a mix of established suppliers and wartime allies.
India contributed 3.0% ($1.88 billion). Czechia ranked ninth at 2.8% ($1.79 billion), essentially tied with France at 2.8% ($1.76 billion). This list spans Asia, Europe and North America, a mix of established EU suppliers, wartime allies and global manufacturing hubs. Poland and Germany's presence near the top mirrors their role on the export side of this dataset, where both also rank among Ukraine's leading trade partners.
Taken together, this dataset's most recent confirmed year describes an import profile anchored in fuel, vehicles and machinery. That profile rebounded sharply after a wartime dip, even as the export side of trade for this same country kept falling. It is sourced from a partner base led by China, alongside neighboring EU states that also feature prominently among the country's export partners.