After a disastrous January, there was a surge: imports grew, and revenues increased by 16 billion over the year.
4 March 18:26
The State Customs Service of Ukraine reported exceeding its revenue target in February 2026, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
UAH 63.9 billion in customs payments were transferred to the budget, which is 102.3% of the planned figure.
For comparison, in February 2025, customs collected UAH 16.2 billion less. Compared to January 2026, revenues increased by UAH 7.7 billion.
What ensured the growth
According to the service, imports in physical terms (by weight) increased by 10.2%, and in value terms — by 17.8% in dollar terms. At the same time, the tax burden per kilogram of goods increased by 17.4%.
This indicates not only an increase in import volumes, but also a change in the structure of imports, with a larger share of goods with higher customs values or tax rates.
Who filled the budget
Among the goods that generated the most revenue were:
- petroleum products — UAH 17.3 billion;
- passenger cars — UAH 4.7 billion;
- electricity — UAH 2.3 billion;
- natural gas and petroleum gases — UAH 1.7 billion;
- electric telephones — UAH 1 billion;
- fertilizers, data processing machines, and electric generator sets — from 600 to 800 million UAH for each category.
The dominance of energy goods and transport reflects both seasonal needs and the structural consequences of the war — in particular, imports of energy carriers and equipment to support infrastructure.
Concessions: almost 60% of the collected amount
At the same time, customs clearance of imports provided concessions worth UAH 38.4 billion, which is 60% of the actual revenue. A year ago, this figure was UAH 21 billion. Thus, the volume of preferences increased by 83.2%.
The largest share was accounted for by:
- preferences for imports of defense goods — UAH 16.7 billion (43.5%);
- concessions for excisable goods (tobacco) for production in Ukraine — UAH 8.2 billion (21.5%);
- preferences for goods for the restoration and repair of energy infrastructure — UAH 3.6 billion (9.3%).
In fact, the state simultaneously stimulates critically important imports and compensates for this through a broader tax base and growth in trade turnover.
Context: after the January shortfall
In January 2026, the general fund of the state budget fell short by UAH 12 billion, in particular due to problems in the energy sector. February’s overperformance partially compensates for this gap.
However, the significant volume of concessions means that the real fiscal effect of imports is significantly lower than its gross potential. At the same time, the priorities — defense and energy — remain unchanged.
What February figures show
February figures show a stabilization of import flows and an increase in customs revenues after a difficult start to the year.
At the same time, the structure of concessions shows that fiscal policy remains military in nature: the state is deliberately sacrificing part of its revenues to support defense and energy security.
