Medicine imports to Ukraine fall 38%, exports decline 24% in 2022 - survey

MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax) - Imports of medicines to Ukraine in 2022 have declined 38% year-on-year to $1.9 billion from $3.1 billion after a five-year growth.

According to Ukrainian media, this is revealed by the survey conducted by the Top Lead marketing agency jointly with the Darnitsa pharmaceutical company.

According to the survey, the largest importers of medicines to Ukraine are Germany with the import volume of about $368 million, India ($173 million), France ($31 million), Italy ($125 million) and Slovenia ($110 million).

At the same time, the exports of Ukrainian medication in 2022 decreased 24% as compared with 2021, and amounted to $238 million.

The largest buyer of Ukrainian medicines is Uzbekistan, where Ukrainian companies exported products worth almost $52 million, which is 36% less than a year earlier.

At the same time, other top three buyers of Ukrainian medicines increased export, in particular, Kazakhstan by 12% (to $32 million), Lithuania by 324% ($23 million).

"In 2022, Ukrainian companies stopped selling medicines to Russia and Belarus, while exports to Lithuania and Latvia increased. But despite this, most of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical export goes to Asia," the study's authors said.

They also noted that, although the largest medicine producers in Ukraine have GMP certificates issued by the Ukrainian State Service on Medicines and Drugs Control, which confirm the production and control of drugs in accordance with international quality standards, the European Union does not yet recognize these certificates. "Therefore, for the export to the EU, the manufacturer has to undergo an additional inspection by the regulatory authorities of one or another EU country. The task for Ukraine in the near future is to achieve recognition of Ukrainian certificates in the EU," the authors of the survey said.