Pork Imports to Ukraine Reached Their Highest Level Since 2022 in September

In September 2025, the volumes of imported chilled and frozen pork in Ukraine exceeded 6,000 tons, which is 31% more compared to the previous month. This is the highest figure since January 2022.

This is reported by AgroReview

Reasons for the Increase in Pork Imports

The main factor for this significant increase was a combination of high prices for Ukrainian pork and the exhaustion of quotas for duty-free imports from European Union countries. As noted by the “Pork Producers of Ukraine” association, this year’s seasonal reduction in domestic supply coincided with the effects of a decrease in the pig population in the country. This led to consistently high prices in the Ukrainian market, while the average customs value of imported pork in September decreased to $2.56 per kilogram, which is 2.2% lower than in August.

“Since this year’s seasonal reduction in domestic pork supply coincided with the effects of a decrease in the pig population in the country, prices for Ukrainian pork are noticeably higher and have remained consistently high for a long time. In contrast, the average customs value of imported pork in September decreased to $2.56/kg (-2.2% compared to August),” the statement said.

The majority of imported pork comes from the European Union, and after the exhaustion of duty-free quotas, some suppliers began to build additional stocks in anticipation of the introduction of customs tariffs. In the future, pork imports from the EU will be subject to tariffs: 12% for chilled meat and 10% for frozen meat.

Pork Import and Export in 2025

In the first three quarters of 2025, Ukraine imported 20,800 tons of chilled and frozen pork for a total of $53.2 million. Of this amount, only 142 tons were imported from Canada, while the rest came from EU countries. Importers believe that even after the introduction of tariffs, pork supplies will remain economically viable if justified by market conditions.

According to forecasts, if import volumes remain at the level of the third quarter, the annual figure will not exceed 35,000 tons – this will account for about 5-6% of the total domestic pork market, which is 25% less than in 2022 and 15% lower than in 2021. Thus, the majority of the pork supply in the domestic market will continue to be formed by Ukrainian producers.

At the same time, in the first nine months of 2025, pork exports from Ukraine exceeded 2,000 tons, generating nearly $6.2 million in foreign currency earnings. The largest markets remain Hong Kong, the UAE, Bahrain, and Malaysia. Efforts are underway to open new markets, including in the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and South Korea.