Ukraine turns from salt exporter to importer, imports reach 15% of domestic market in H1 2023

MOSCOW. July 11 (Interfax) - The share of imported salt on the Ukrainian market reached 15% between January and June 2023, 211.737 tonnes were purchased on the foreign markets for $46.196 million.

As Ukrainian media reported, in accordance with the statistics published by the State Customs Service, the largest supplier of salt to Ukraine remains Turkey, which provided 32.4% of all salt imports in H1 2023 and earned $14.966 million.

Egypt and Romania accounted for 23.3% and 17.7% of supplies worth $10.745 million and $8.174 million, respectively.

The State Customs Service noted that in 2022, the share of imported salt in the total amount of imported goods was 0.15%. Ukraine bought 438.105 tonnes of salt for $92.116 million on foreign markets.

In 2021, the percentage of imported salt in Ukraine did not exceed 0.02%, which amounted to 142.813 tonnes for $12.920 million.

For export in this pre-crisis year, Ukrainian enterprises supplied 710.041 tonnes of salt, from the sale of which they earned $28.323 million.

In 2022, Ukraine shrank salt exports by 80% to 142.038 tonnes compared to 2021, with the revenue totaling $3.821 million.

The main purchasers of Ukrainian salt in 2021 and 2022 were Poland (import share of 39.1% and 44.4%, respectively), Hungary (27.4% and 27.3%) and Romania (7.3% and 5.1%).

In H1 2023, Ukrainian salt exports reached only 149 tonnes worth $32,000. It was purchased by Romania (93.5% of supplies) and Moldova (3.2%).