Import of Passenger Cars to Ukraine Decreased by 16% in Q1 2026
The volume of passenger car imports to Ukraine has seen a significant decline of 16% in monetary terms during the first quarter of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025.
In the first three months of 2026, the import of passenger cars to Ukraine, which includes cargo-passenger vans and cars for racing (code UKTZED 8703), amounted to $949.5 million. This figure represents a 16% decrease compared to the same period in 2025, when imports totaled $1.13 billion.
According to data released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, the import of passenger cars in March 2026 dropped by 12.5% compared to March of the previous year. However, when compared to February 2026, imports increased by 13.8%, reaching $359.6 million.
During the first quarter of 2026, the largest suppliers of passenger cars to Ukraine remained the United States, Germany, and Japan. These countries also topped the list in the previous year, although in 2025, Germany was the largest exporter, followed by the United States and Japan.
Throughout the reporting period, car deliveries from the United States decreased by 2.7%, totaling $177.2 million. Deliveries from Germany saw a significant reduction of one-third, amounting to $151.5 million, while imports from Japan increased by 35.5%, reaching $146.7 million.
The import of passenger cars from other countries in January-March 2026 amounted to $474.2 million, marking a substantial decline compared to $612.6 million during the same period last year.
At the same time, in the first three months of 2026, Ukraine exported only $0.79 million worth of passenger cars. In comparison, in 2025, the export of passenger cars was valued at $2.5 million, with 90.5% of these exports going to the United Arab Emirates, along with smaller amounts to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
According to the State Customs Service, the share of passenger cars in the total import of goods to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2026 was 4%, whereas in the same period of 2025, this figure stood at 6.13%.
It is worth noting that in 2025, Ukraine imported passenger cars worth nearly $6.15 billion, which was a 40.2% increase compared to 2024. The largest exporters remained the United States, Germany, and China, while the total export of passenger cars amounted to $10.1 million, which is 2.7 times less than the previous year.
The significant increase in passenger car imports in the last months of 2025 was driven by the announcement of the cancellation of VAT exemptions on electric vehicle imports starting January 1, 2026. However, since the beginning of 2026, the import of electric vehicles has sharply declined. Nevertheless, in March 2026, a gradual recovery of the passenger car market began, including electric vehicles.