KIEV, February 19. /TASS/. Russian Federation remained Ukraine’s main trade partner in 2018, despite mutual trade restrictions imposed in 2016.

In 2018, Ukrainian exports to other countries amounted to $47.3 bln, an increase of 9.4% compared with 2017, according to the figures released by the State Statistics Service on Tuesday. The biggest share of the country’s exports ($3.7 bln) still falls on Russia, despite a 7.2% decrease, which is followed by Poland ($3.3 bln), Italy ($2.6 bln), Turkey ($2.4 bln), Germany and China ($2.2 bln each). All in all, 42.5% of Ukrainian exports ($20.2 bln) fell on EU countries last year.

Among importers, Russia also remains the first. In 2018, imports of Russian goods to Ukraine rose by 12.3% compared with 2017 to $8.1 bln. China was the second ($7.6 bln), followed by Germany ($5.9 bln), Belarus ($3.8 bln), and Poland ($3.6 bln). Total Ukrainian imports equaled $57.1 bln last year, an increase of 15.2% compared with 2017, with 40% ($23.2 bln) falling on EU countries.

Russia suspended the free trade zone agreement with Ukraine starting from January 1, 2016, after the economic section of Ukraine’s association agreement with the European Union came into force. Besides, Russia’s embargo on European goods, which had been in place since August 2014, was expanded to include Ukraine in early 2016. It prohibits imports of meat, sausages, fish and shellfish, fruit, vegetables and dairy products from Ukraine. Kiev responded with a ban on imports of Russian goods, which came into force on January 10, 2016.