The following feature characterizes current market conditions of Ukrainian transportation market: in contradistinction from the other post-Soviet countries, export deliveries from Ukraine to EU expressed in physical terms exceeded imports in 2014. In 2015, this tendency reinforced making the difference between exports and imports even more striking.
One of the reasons for such a change in the Ukrainian market of motor transportation is the devaluation of hryvna due to political and economic problems. In terms of hard currency, all the Ukrainian goods and raw materials fell in price considerably, which made them more competitive in the foreign market. Imported goods became less affordable for Ukrainian consumers due to a sales slowdown.
From all the EU countries the largest freight turnover was observed between Ukraine and Poland. It should be noted that both the volume of export and import freight turnover was approximately equal and totaled over 1 million tons during the 9 months in 2015. Poland has been steadily ahead in freight deliveries to Ukraine, transporting twice as much as Germany. The decline in imports from Poland during the 9 months in 2015 made 8.7% as compared to the similar period of the previous year. Deliveries of manufactured products and сonstruction materials decreased.
Over the 9 months in 2015, Ukraine received 446 thousand tons of freight from Germany. The decrease made 16.3% as compared to the similar period of the previous year. The decline in imports mainly affected vehicles, manufactured products and foodstuffs.
What concerns exports from Ukraine to Poland over the 9 months of the current year, they grew by 21.9% due to the increase in the delivery of woodwork, rough timber, foodstuffs and other products of food industry (sugar, beverages, syrup, oilcake).
572 thousand tons of freight was sent to Germany over the 9 months in 2015, which is 6.2% more than in the similar period of the previous year. Deliveries of foodstuffs (mainly tinned fruit and vegetable oil) as well as manufactured products (glass dishes and ceramics, woodwork) increased.
There was also a remarkable growth of exports to Hungary (290 thousand tons) and Romania (170 thousand tons), where deliveries increased by 24% and 61% accordingly mainly due to exports of rough timber.
***
In total, over the 9-month period in 2015 exports from Ukraine to EU amounted to 3608 thousand tons of freight, which is 19.17% more than in the similar period of the previous year.
Imports from EU to Ukraine totaled 2835 thousand tons of freight, which is 11.2% less than in the similar period of the previous year. However, over the year 2015 following the record decrease in imports in January there has been a steady growth of motor transportation from EU to Ukraine.
Marketing Department of TELS group of companies. Figures taken from Eurostat.