Into its fifth year of war against Ukraine, Russia increased its exports to Ukraine during the first four months of this year, Ukraine’s State Statistics Service reports.
In a brief trade statement, the state agency reported that imports from Ukraine to Russia increased by 31 percent up to $2.6 billion, while Ukraine’s exports to the aggressor state dropped by 6 percent during January-April, compared to the same period of last year.
Among top goods that Ukraine exported to Russia during January-March include black metals, inorganic chemicals, and machinery such as nuclear reactors, boilers, and machines. Ukraine bought mineral fuels, oil, oil distillation products, fertilizers, and also machinery.
Overall, the country’s leading export is black metal with $3.5 billion sold abroad in January-April – some 32 percent more than last year. Mineral fuels, oil and oil distillation products are the main goods Ukraine imports, mostly coming from Russia.
Altogether, Ukraine’s exports increased by 12 percent to $16.9 billion, while imports went up by 15 percent to $15.5 billion during that same period.
And as Ukraine is struggling to obtain independence from Russian gas and other goods, Russia remained as Ukraine’s top country trade partner in 2017.
But the European Union remains as Ukraine’s single largest trade market.
Trade with the political-economic union of 28 countries also increased as Ukrainians are buying 13 percent more, as well as selling 27 percent more during January-April.
Ukraine, however, has a trade deficit as imports exceed exports by 9 percent.
