Cheese imports grew roughly 20 times faster than exports over the same seven months, and now outweigh exports more than three to one by volume.
Open4business reported that Moldova and Kazakhstan bought 60.6% of Ukraine's cheese exports in January-July 2026, citing the Association of Milk Producers.
Cheese imports climbed more than 20 times faster than exports over the same seven months.
Key Facts
- At 60.6% combined, Moldova and Kazakhstan bought most of Ukraine's cheese exports in January-July 2026.
- Cheese imports rose 24.7% year-over-year to 28.3 thousand tons, more than triple Ukraine's export volume.
- Germany bought 13.1% of Ukraine's cheese exports while supplying 16.3% of its cheese imports.
The seven-month tally points to two separate dynamics inside Ukraine's dairy trade. Export volumes have barely moved even as the buyer base stays locked around the same two countries. Import volumes are climbing at a pace exports haven't matched in over two years, the association says.
Moldova and Kazakhstan Remain Ukraine's Top Cheese Buyers
Moldova has been Ukraine's largest cheese buyer since at least 2024, with Kazakhstan in second place every period since. Their combined share has eased rather than grown, moving from 67.9% in early 2024 to 62.2% in June 2026 and then to 60.6% for the seven months through July.
Germany trails in third place at 13.1%. It has never come close to displacing either country.
Ukraine's Cheese Exports Barely Grew Over Seven Months
Ukraine exported 8.2 thousand tons of cheese over the seven months, up just 1.2% from the same period in 2025. Revenue barely moved, rising only 0.5% to $37.4 million.
The average export price held near $4.56 thousand per ton, essentially unchanged year-over-year per the association.
Flat volume and flat pricing together leave growers and traders selling into a market that isn't expanding on either side of the ledger this year, even as demand for imported cheese keeps climbing.
Germany Buys and Sells Into the Same Cheese Trade
Germany buys and sells cheese with Ukraine. It bought 13.1% of Ukraine's cheese exports in the first seven months of 2026, while supplying 16.3% of Ukraine's cheese imports over that same span of trade.
Total imports reached 28.3 thousand tons worth $168.8 million, up 24.7% from a year earlier and more than triple Ukraine's export volume. The 24.7% import growth rate outpaced export growth by more than 20 times.
