7%
Of DE’s agro machinery exports go to UA
More than €10 billion bilateral trade in 2024 in goods and €1 billion – in services
1st
With about 1.2 m people, DE is 1st largest EU recipient of UA’s refugees
UA’s rape seeds, corn, seamless steel tubes,
and wires are of major importance to DE
€2.6 bn
€2.6 billion revenues of DE businesses in UA
Centre for Economic Strategy (CES), an independent Ukrainian think tank that analyzes key public policies and promotes support for reforms.
With donor support, CES has launched a series of studies on trade relations between Ukraine and the European Union countries.
Free movements of goods and services
The pre-war and current
DE import mix from UA remains largely unchanged, with only a notable increase in rapeseed volumes. Wires and cables imports remain central to DE’s automotive supply chain
Exports expanded significantly in dual-use categories—aircraft parts, radars, and remote-control apparatus
€137 m
In 2023, DE ran
a €137 million net surplus
in trade in services—the first time in at least a decade
0.3%
However, UA accounts for only 0.3% of DE’s extra-EU services exports
Trade Balance UA-DE 2024
Top 5 goods in Germany-Ukraine bilateral trade in 2024, EUR million
Free movement of persons and capital
Pre war:
~155k
Ukrainians in DE
Post-2022:
+1.2 m
with temporary protection
~66% are women and kids; ~50% of refuges are employed.
Ukrainian migrants fill labour-market gaps in Germany
and contribute to GDP growth
~1.3k
Germany-linked businesses generated €2.6 billion
in revenue in 2024, with the 10 largest accounting for €600 m
German companies
will play a significant role
in UA’s reconstruction
Pie chart showing distribution of Ukrainian refugees by gender and age
Tighter co-operation potential
-
Particularly promising are deeper Germany–Ukraine links
in manufacturing—focused on wire-and-cable supply chains
—and across the agrifood production network. -
Priorities include expanding food-processing industries
and ensuring the close involvement of German companies
in Ukraine’s reconstruction projects.
Interesting fact
