Ukraine is Number 2 in Bulgaria's Exports outside the EU

In the year Russia invaded Ukraine, the defending country became the second most important destination for Bulgarian exports outside the EU, "blowing away" Serbia and the USA. This is shown by the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute for 2022.

Our exports to Ukraine have reached a record 2.249 billion leva - compared to 794 million leva for 2021, which makes an almost triple increase. In first place, as in previous years, is Turkey, which accepted our goods for BGN 5.435 billion. And Serbia is the third most important market outside the EU with BGN 2.209 billion, specifies in the Bulgarian newspaper "Sega".

The boom in our trade with the warring country, registered by NSI, smells not of gunpowder, but of oil. The share of fuels - motor and heating - has the largest share - more than half of all exports to Ukraine. Diesel alone is worth over BGN 1.2 billion, according to NSI data for the 11 months of last year, cited by Money.bg. Next are medicines and medical devices, sanitary and hygienic materials and food, especially rice, canned goods, chocolate products.

Before the war, the "profile" of Bulgarian exports to Ukraine was quite different. In the export list for 2021, fertilizers, pharmaceutical products, machines and electrotechnical products were at the top.