Hungary remains an important trade partner of Ukraine in Central Europe, and in the conditions of full-scale war, it has acquired strategic importance as one of the key logistics and transit hubs.
In 2025, there was an increase in the volume of bilateral trade between Ukraine and Hungary. According to data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in 2025, the total trade turnover amounted to USD 3,305 million (in 2023, the total trade turnover was USD 2,770 million; in 2024 – USD 2,773 million), exports – USD 1,279 million, imports – USD 2,026 million. The negative balance for Ukraine is USD 747 million.
Main items of goods export to Hungary: electric heating appliances and apparatus; electric irons; insulated wires, cables, and other insulated electric conductors; fiber-optic cables; oil cake, solid waste from the extraction of soybean oil; electric telephone or telegraph apparatus; videophones; electricity. Main items of goods import from Hungary: petroleum gases; electricity; insulated wires, cables, and other insulated electric conductors; fiber-optic cables; electrical apparatus for switching, protecting, or connecting to electrical circuits for a voltage not exceeding 1000 V; insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, herbicides, disinfectants.
According to data from the National Bank of Ukraine as of 30.09.2025, Hungary invested (FDI) USD 886 million into the economy of Ukraine. The largest volume of Hungarian investments went into: Financial and insurance activities – USD 648.2 million, Industry – USD 10.6 million, Real estate operations – USD 9.2 million.
According to data from the National Bank of Ukraine as of 30.09.2025, the volume of foreign direct investment from Ukraine to Hungary amounted to USD -6.1 million (equity instruments +USD 1.6 million, debt instruments -USD 7.7 million).
After the European Commission's cancellation on 15.09.2023 of the ban on the import of 4 categories of Ukrainian agricultural products (wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds) at the EU level, the government of Hungary from 16.09.2023 unilaterally renewed the effect of decree No. 130/2023 dated 18.04.2023 "On measures related to the transportation of certain agricultural goods from Ukraine" (as amended).
According to it, at the national level, the ban on imports from Ukraine of 24 (currently 22) commodity groups of agro-products was restored, according to UKT ZED codes: 0201; 0202; 0203; 0204; 0207; 0407; 0710; 1001 99 00; 1002; 1003; 1005 90 00; 1008 (except 1008 29 00); 1101; 1102; 1104; 1205; 1206; 1512; 1514; 1905 10 00; 2005; 2204.
Hungary joined the Ukrainian grain initiative "Grain from Ukraine," allocating USD 3.5 million during the first meeting in 2022 for the export of Ukrainian grain to countries on the brink of famine.
Cross-border cooperation between Ukraine and Hungary is an important component of interstate relations; its development and prospects are determined by historical and cultural ties, the presence of a numerous Hungarian minority in Ukraine and a Ukrainian one in Hungary, and a favorable geographical location. Since 2021, special attention has been paid to the economic strengthening of regions, particularly through the development of industrial parks and the decentralization reform.
Ukraine and Hungary cooperate within various international initiatives, including: Interreg Hungary–Slovakia–Romania–Ukraine program (active until 2030), Interreg Danube Region Programme, Eastern Partnership and the Central European Initiative.
Thanks to the facilitation of the Ukrainian Embassy, a new daily international train service Kyiv-Budapest was launched on 15.12.2024. From September 2025, a direct international passenger train Uzhhorod-Budapest was launched on the newly built European gauge track. Additionally, from 14.12.2025, new railway passenger transportations were introduced: the Berehove-Budapest train and an additional regional train Uzhhorod-Zahony.
In 2025, new cooperation was initiated between the following municipalities:
Currently, leadership of Ukrainian and Hungarian towns is preparing about 20 documents on sisterhood/cooperation, and changes to 102 existing interregional documents are being processed to transition from cooperation to full sisterhood.
On 08.04.2025, a new international automobile checkpoint "Velyka Palad – Nagyhodos" was opened on temporary (modular) infrastructure, and the movement of empty trucks through the Luzhanka – Beregsurány checkpoint was officially opened.
In the context of the Ukraine-EU "Solidarity Lanes" initiative, representatives of DG MOVE visited border crossing points (Batiovo, Zahony-Chop, and Beregsurány-Luzhanka) from 02-05.06.2025 to identify measures for improving capacity. On 30.09.2025, the modernization of infrastructure at the Luzhanka-Beregsurány CP began. The project cost is estimated at EUR 1.7 million, 50% of which is co-financed by the EU via the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).