---
title: "Ukrainian Pharma on the Verge of Global Expansion: From Export Contracts to International Presence"
description: "Ukrainian pharma exported $321.6 million worth of drugs in 2024, but to transition from one-off contracts to a global presence, manufacturers need regulatory expertise, R&D investments, and their own international structures."
date: 2026-11-02T16:44:23.946Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-pharma-global-market-export
tags: [ukraine-pharma, drug-exports, gmp, ema, global-expansion, rbc-ukraine, hs-30]
author: "Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukrainian Pharma on the Verge of Global Expansion: From Export Contracts to International Presence

![Female pharmacist wearing glasses works with a tablet in an office with blue molecular diagrams on glass](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/02/ukraina-farma-globalnyy-rynok-eksport/ukraina-farma-globalnyy-rynok-eksport-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Ukrainian pharmaceutical exports (HS 30) reached approximately $321.6 million in 2024 according to UN Comtrade
- Largest markets: Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Georgia; geography covers the EU, Latin America, Middle East, and Asia
- Entering developed markets requires GMP compliance, registration, and inspections, which takes years
- Transitioning from a distributor model to own international structures is a key stage of systematic expansion
- War conditions and additional costs make international expansion a practical necessity for scaling

In 2024, the Ukrainian pharmaceutical industry exported products under the HS 30 commodity group worth approximately $321.6 million, according to World Integrated Trade Solution data based on UN Comtrade statistics. These figures confirm that Ukrainian manufacturers are no longer limited to the domestic market and traditional post-Soviet destinations: medicines are supplied to the EU, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. However, as noted in a column for RBC-Ukraine by PERPHARM CEO Vira Lelitsa, a single shipment of medicines abroad does not yet equate to a full-fledged global pharmaceutical business. To transition from one-off contracts to a systematic international presence, companies need regulatory expertise, investments in research and development, and established commercial infrastructure in target jurisdictions.

### Export Geography: Who Buys Ukrainian Medicines

According to UN Comtrade, the largest destinations for Ukrainian pharmaceutical exports in 2024 were Uzbekistan ($57.6 million), Lithuania ($45.3 million), Kazakhstan ($36.3 million), Brazil ($25.7 million), and Georgia ($25.1 million). The top ten also included Iraq, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Germany. The regional distribution demonstrates diversification: a significant share goes to Central Asia and CIS countries, but a noticeable presence is also recorded in the EU, Latin America, and the Middle East. Nevertheless, according to Lelitsa's assessment, the sheer number of new countries in the export geography says little about the depth of a company's international presence. It is much more important how many drugs have undergone complex regulatory procedures, obtained registrations in highly regulated jurisdictions, and how capable the manufacturer is of regularly launching new products on the market.

### The Regulatory Barrier: The Main Filter for Entering Developed Markets

In pharmaceuticals, market access is determined by the regulator. To sell a drug, it is necessary to confirm its quality, safety, and efficacy, prepare a registration dossier in accordance with the requirements of a specific jurisdiction, undergo the registration procedure, and in many cases, a production inspection. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) explicitly establishes that manufacturers of drugs for the EU market must comply with European Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements regardless of the country where the production site is located. GMP, however, is only part of the work: for most traditional medicines in the EU, national, decentralized, or mutual recognition registration procedures apply. The decentralized procedure, for example, allows a drug to be simultaneously submitted for registration in several EU countries with one state designated as the Reference Member State. Preparation for entering the international market can begin years before the first sale, and in complex jurisdictions, the registration procedure lasts for years and involves separate GMP inspections by national regulators. Companies need strong regulatory teams, specialists in pharmacovigilance, quality control, and market access — and regulatory competence is becoming one of the key assets of a manufacturer entering developed markets.

### From Distributor to Own Structures: Models of International Presence

Exporting through a distributor is a logical starting model: it requires less capital, allows for faster demand testing, and leverages the local partner's knowledge. In the long term, however, this model limits control over commercial strategy, marketing, relationships with doctors, and access to market data. A more developed international presence may involve own representative offices, marketing companies, logistics structures, local teams, or even production sites. Pharmaceutical companies are gradually moving from individual export contracts to a portfolio of markets with different operating models: in some directions a distributor is sufficient, while in others a local team, contract manufacturing, company acquisition, or partnership with a local player becomes economically justified. For Ukrainian manufacturers, such a flexible model allows them not to depend on a single large contract or a single market and to build a sustainable international business architecture.

### War, Costs, and Competition: The Context of Expansion

The domestic market remains important for Ukrainian pharma companies, but scaling production, developing R&D, and launching more complex products require significantly larger sales markets. The issue is made particularly acute by the fact that manufacturers simultaneously operate in conditions of war, incur additional costs for security and energy independence, and compete with large international pharmaceutical groups that have many years of regulatory experience and a global distribution network. Under such conditions, international expansion is gradually moving from the category of strategic ambitions to a practical necessity: without access to external markets, it is impossible to finance research, upgrade production facilities, and ensure portfolio competitiveness. The transition from one-off shipments to a systematic global presence is a task for years, but the prerequisites for it, as 2024 data shows, have already been laid.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Выход на глобальный рынок. Что нужно украинской фарме для системной экспансии](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vihid-globalniy-rinok-shcho-treba-ukrayinskiy-1793637443.html) - Primary source: column by V. Lelitsa (CEO of PERPHARM) for RBC-Ukraine. Export data ($321.6M USD, HS 30, 2024) is cited from World Integrated Trade Solution / UN Comtrade. Strategic assessments and description of regulatory procedures (GMP, EMA, decentralized procedure) correspond to generally available EU regulatory frameworks.

## FAQ

### How much did Ukraine export in pharmaceutical products in 2024?

According to World Integrated Trade Solution data based on UN Comtrade, exports under the HS 30 commodity group were approximately $321.6 million.

### Which countries are the largest buyers of Ukrainian medicines?

In 2024, the leaders were Uzbekistan ($57.6M), Lithuania ($45.3M), Kazakhstan ($36.3M), Brazil ($25.7M), and Georgia ($25.1M). The top ten also included Iraq, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Germany.

### What is the main barrier for Ukrainian pharma companies entering the EU market?

Regulatory: it is necessary to confirm the quality, safety, and efficacy of the drug, prepare a registration dossier, undergo the registration procedure, and usually a GMP inspection of production. Preparation can take several years.

### How does exporting through a distributor differ from having an own international presence?

Working through a distributor requires less capital and allows for faster demand testing, but limits control over marketing, relationships with doctors, and access to market data. Own representative offices, local teams, or production sites provide greater control but require significant investment.