As 2017 comes to an end, Ukraine’s trade partners are buying more of the country’s Christmas ornaments.
Ukrainian-made Christmas decorations can be found in the homes of more than 28 countries, Ukraine’s Deputy Economy Minister Nataliya Mykolska wrote on her Facebook page on Dec.31.
“During the first 10 months of 2017, Ukraine exported $6.1 million worth of Christmas ornaments,” Mykolska said. “Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Belarus are among the top five countries that import Christmas decorations from Ukraine.”
The government trade representative added that Ukraine’s Christmas ornaments exports grew by 34 percent in 2017 compared to the same period of last year.
Altogether, Ukraine exported $35 billion in goods in 2017, according to the State Statistics Service.
Ukraine’s political and free-trade association agreement with the European Union, which fully came into effect on Sept. 1, contributed to the country’s export growth.
EU-Ukraine trade increased by 27 percent during in the first eight months of 2017, according to the EU-Ukraine Association Council. A key feature of the agreement is the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement, helping Ukraine’s exports to the EU reach $14 billion, or 40 percent of its total exports.
However, among individual nations, Russia still remains Ukraine’s largest trade partner and accounts for $3.2 billion of its exports and $5.5 billion of its imports — a significant part of Ukraine’s $100 billion economy.
“We consider Christmas decorations as a very promising sector for Ukraine’s exports,” Mykolska wrote.
There are more than 10 factories and small enterprises that produce Christmas ornaments in Ukraine. Three of the biggest ones are Klavdievo factory, Terebovlanska factory and Galimpeks enterprise.
