On March 27-28, 2019 the Ukrainian delegation headed by State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Oleksii Perevezentsev took part in the trade mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The goal of the mission is to promote the export of Ukrainian food and processing products to the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries. The event was organized by State Institution “Export Promotion Office of Ukraine” jointly with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

“We are witnessing a positive dynamics in the growth of the total volume of bilateral trade between Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates. In 2018, exports of Ukrainian goods increased by 26.4% as compared to previous year and reached USD 486.2 million, while imports increased more than twice from USD 33.4 million in 2017 up to USD 79.2 million in 2018, according to State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Oleksii Perevezentsev.

Within the framework of the trade mission, the Ukrainian delegation participated in business forum “Sweet & Fruit Trade: Ukraine-Middle East” in Dubai, dedicated to the development of economic cooperation between Ukraine and the UAE, familiarization of business circles of the UAE with export opportunities of Ukraine, in particular, products of the Ukrainian food and processing industry to the UAE markets and other countries of the region.

A number of Ukrainian export-oriented companies operating in the perspective sectors of food and processing industry, as defined in the Export Strategy of Ukraine, were invited to participate in the trade mission. The mission participants had an opportunity to hold B2B meetings with business representatives of the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries, study the specifics of doing business and market opportunities in the UAE, as well as familiarize themselves with the peculiarities of pricing in the food markets of the country.