Despite the ongoing Russian aggression and blockade of the Ukrainian border by the Poles, Ukrainian apple growers and traders continue to improve their ability to export fresh apples. According to EastFruit analysts, Ukraine made wholesale shipments of fresh apples to 22 countries on different continents in January 2024!
In the near future, this geography may expand even further with the launch of container shipping from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine, which became possible thanks to the almost complete destruction of the Russian Black Sea fleet by the Ukrainian defenders.
Returning to apple exports, Ukraine in January 2024 sent 2.5 thousand tons of these fruits to the UAE in just one month, which made the Emirates the main market for Ukraine’s apples, despite issues with logistics in the Red Sea. It is interesting to note top-3 importers of Ukraine’s apples in January were all from the Middle Eastern countries. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq accounted for more than 60% of the supply of these fruits.
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Uzbekistan remained in the fourth place among the most important markets for apples from Ukraine as it has steadily purchased hundreds of tons of Ukrainian apples every month since September 2023. The fifth place was occupied by Türkiye, one of the global world leaders in apple exports, which would raise a question of anyone from the industry. According to market participants, Turkish companies purchased Ukrainian apples of red varieties (Gala, Red Delicious, etc.) for re-exports to India, the market to which Ukraine still does not have direct access due to unresolved trade protocols.
Sweden was the largest EU importer of fresh apples from Ukraine, which ranked only sixth in the total ranking. Sweden consistently purchased similar volumes of products throughout the season, making it a very reliable trading partner.
It is rewarding to know that Malaysia is in the seventh place as it is a were distant market. Ukrainian apples are gradually returning to Malaysia after the beginning of full-scale invasion of Russia. Even in such a distant market, even despite the enormous logistical problems created by the Ukrainian exporter Poland and the Houthis in the Red Sea, Ukrainian apples remain competitive in price and quality!
The next three places among the largest apple importers in January were occupied by Jordan, Oman, and Georgia. It is also worth noting the constant growth in apple exports from Ukraine to Bangladesh, which may become an important market in the future.
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