EU trade with Ukraine dropped in Q3 2025
In the third quarter of 2025 compared with the previous quarter, both EU imports from Ukraine (-5.8 per cent) and EU exports to Ukraine (-5.3 per cent) decreased, EU statistics agency Eurostat said on December 2.
Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, imports decreased by 19.1 per cent while exports increased by 4.4 per cent.
The EU trade surplus with Ukraine peaked in Q2 2025 at 6.4 billion euro and fell to 6.0 billion euro in Q3 2025.
The share for Ukraine in extra-EU exports increased from 1.3 per cent in Q3 2021 to 1.7 per cent in Q3 2025. By contrast, the share for Ukraine in extra-EU imports decreased from 1.3 per cent to 0.8 per cent in this period.
Since Q2 2022, trade data shows that the EU has recorded deficits in food, drinks and tobacco, as well as in raw materials, Eurostat said.
These deficits likely reflect increased imports of these products, possibly driven by the EU’s Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) for Ukraine, which suspended tariffs and quotas, the statistics agency said.
At the same time, to support Ukraine’s domestic production, which has been severely affected by the war, the EU increased its exports of machinery, vehicles, and other manufactured goods.
These exports played a crucial role in sustaining Ukraine’s infrastructure and industrial capacity. As a result of this trade dynamic, the overall EU trade balance increased progressively, reaching six billion euro in surplus in Q3 2025, Eurostat said.
(Photo: Kgbo)
