From 2013 to 2019, Ukraine decreased exports of goods to Russia by 78% and increased exports to the European Union by 24%, Tymofiy Mylovanov, a former economy minister and a current advisor to President Zelensky’s administration, said at the forum Ukraine 30: International Relations on July 5.
The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement has had a big impact on these numbers, he said.
Since Ukraine and the EU signed it, Ukraine began to export more agricultural and ready-to-eat foods instead of metals and minerals.
“We increased exports to the European Union and reduced them to Russia, but in general we have not managed yet to compensate for those losses from exports to Russia at the expense of the EU. But I am sure that it will happen,” Mylovanov said.
According to him, the EU is now Ukraine’s largest trading partner, with a share of about 40%. The share of the Asian market, especially China, is also growing rapidly, and it totaled 33% as of 2019. Russia’s share is only 6%, down from 23%.
Mylovanov said that he didn’t count 2020 trade figures due to the pandemic.
