Ukraine in January-May 2019 imported 3.239 million tonnes of petroleum products (HS code 2710 – petrol, diesel, fuel oil, jet fuel, etc.), which is 19% more than in the same period of 2018.
According to the State Fiscal Service, oil products were imported for $2.039 billion, which is 17.3% more than in January-May 2018 ($1.739 billion).
Fuel imports from the Russian Federation amounted to $842.143 million (a 41.3% share), Belarus to $775.058 million (38.01%), Lithuania to $223.217 million (10.95%), other countries to $198.688 million (9.74%).
In addition, in January-May 2019, Ukraine exported 295,850 tonnes (45.1% up from January-May 2018) of oil products for a total of $132.966 million (a rise of 27.9%). The cost of fuel supplied to counterparties from Greece was $45.016 million, Latvia $15.785 million, Malta some $13.739 million, other countries some $58.426 million.
As reported, Ukraine in 2011 imported oil products for $6.954 billion and exported – for $3.339 billion, in 2012 – for $7.607 billion and $1.389 billion, in 2013 – for $6.418 billion and $810.772 million, in 2014 – for $6.698 billion and $510.596 million, in 2015 – for $3.857 billion and $116.385 million, in 2016 – for $3.267 billion and $86.585 million, in 2017 – for $4.159 billion and $180.851 million, and in 2018 – for $5.541 billion and $249.616 million.
Grain production in Ukraine in the 2019/2020 MY (marketing year, July-June) will increase to 94 million tonnes (in the 2018/2019 MY the figure was 92 million tonnes), President of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) Mykola Horbachev has said at a press conference. “We expect 94 million tonnes of grain. Any overproduction will be in demand in the foreign market. Over the next three to four years, we expect production to increase to 100 million tonnes, and exports to 70 million tonnes,” he said.
According to him, areas under grain crops in Ukraine are stable, and the volume of production depends on the climate. Western regions of Ukraine are leading in production, and this trend will continue.
The expert also stressed that in the current season the maximum monthly volume of grain transshipment was 6 million tonnes, which dispels doubts whether the country will be able to increase exports to 70 million tonnes of grain in future.
Italy’s Ernest Airlines to open office in Kyiv and plans to invest EUR 100 mln in Ukraine
KYIV. June 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Italy’s Ernest Airlines will open its office in Kyiv this summer, and in 2020 plans to place two planes in Kyiv, according to a posting on the website of the Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport. As the airport press service said, Ernest Airlines has already invested more than EUR 30 million in the Ukrainian market over the past two years, and plans to invest more than EUR 100 million in the next two years.
“In 2020, it is also planned to place two aircraft in Kyiv. This will give even more opportunities for work to even more people in Ukraine,” the airport said.
According to the airport, Ernest Airlines services 13 destinations from Ukraine to Italy. In 2018, the airline transported more than 200,000 Ukrainian passengers, and in 2019 it is planned that the number of passengers from Italy to Ukraine and back will exceed 500,000 passengers.
“This year, Ernest will open a call center in Ukraine to attract even more Ukrainian operators who will be able to more effectively help all its passengers. Ernest also employs more and more crew members who speak Ukrainian to have such specialists on all their flights,” the airport said.
In addition, Ernest Airlines already has a special call center in Italy with Ukrainian-speaking employees.
Ernest Airlines is an Italian airline headquartered in Milan. The main operations center of the company is located in Tirana (Albania). The airline is a low cost carrier and serves the Italian and Albanian markets. The airline flies from Kyiv to Rome, Milan (Bergamo and Malpensa), Naples, Bologna and Genoa, and also from Lviv to Rome, Milan (Bergamo), Naples and Venice; from Kharkiv to Rome and Milan (Malpensa), and from Odesa – only to Rome.
Ukraine could increase grain exports to China in the 2019/2020 marketing year (MY, July-June), Olena Neroba, the adviser to the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), has said at a press conference. According to her, China this year has experienced a significant reduction in the number of pigs due to ASF, and since substitution of pork with imports is quite expensive and time consuming, China is likely to compensate for the deficiency of protein in poultry. This factor and the trade war with the United States will lead to an increase in demand for barley and other grains, which Ukraine can take advantage of, Neroba said. If earlier practically the only importer of Ukrainian barley was Saudi Arabia, then the opening of a new market will allow increasing the volume of exports of this crop and raising the price.
She also noted that Ukraine this season has felt some U.S. influence on the Egyptian market, which is one of the main consumers of Ukrainian corn. According to the expert, although the absolute figures of exports to Egypt increased slightly compared to last year, however, the share of Egypt in in the structure of Ukrainian grain exports declined.
On June, 22 and 23 in the «Kyivan Rus Park» an International festival of equestrian martial arts «Scythians» will take place. The key event of the Festival will be the tournament of horseback archers. Skilled sportsmen-virtuosos from Europe and Asia will compete in the traditional (historical) bow shooting accuracy on full gallop.
There will be a rich program: horse-trick performances and competitions, including the demonstrative performances of the ancient martial arts possession, and interactive activities and much more interesting.
The sportsmen and the actors –stuntmen will perform in a tandem with the unique horses of historical breeds gathered from all over the world in the Princely stable. The horses can be palmed, taken a photo with; you can ride on a horseback or in a carriage.
Shooting fireballs from a huge Trebuchet will be the culmination of the festive program.
Ancient Kyiv opens at 10:00. The program starts at 13:30.
The ticket price: a full adult ticket – 250 UAH, for pensioners and students – 150 UAH, for schoolchildren – 60 UAH, for preschool children – for free.
Ancient Kyiv in the «Kyivan Rus Park» is located in Kyiv region, Obukhiv district, the vill. Kopachiv.
Route taxis leave from Kyiv from the «Vydybitchi» metro station.
Details on the website www.parkkyivrus.com
The Interfax subscribers can save money with the “openbusiness-20” promo code for a 20%-discount for a full price adult ticket to the Principality of Kyivan Rus:
– by previous order by tel.: +38 044 461-99-37, +38 050 385-20-35
– or at the cash desk at the entrance to the «Kyivan Rus Park».
Dragon Capital Group plans to finalize deals worth $250 million by the end of 2019, Dragon Capital CEO Tomas Fiala has said.
“We have several deals at the completion stage that we will finish anyway. Before the [presidential] elections we closed deals that we already had on the pipeline for six months or a year. We did not work on the new pipeline because we wanted to see what the outcome of the elections will be. So far, everything that President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and his team are doing does not scare us..,” Fiala told Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the RAU Investment Forum 2019 in Kyiv on Tuesday.
He said that the company has now resumed the process of creating a pipeline and plans to close about 10 deals in real estate and private equity by the end of this year.
“Within 12 months, if there are the correct appointments to the government, if the ministers suit investors, if they are clean reformers who can implement key structural reforms, if the president and the government do everything to restore the rule of law in the country, we will close about 10 transactions, and it can be an amount of about $250 million,” Fiala said.
He said that despite the rising cost of real estate offered on the secondary market, the growth potential for the company remains enormous.
“After the [parliamentary] elections, we and our partners can quietly double our investments in real estate and private equity in two or three years. We have invested $500 million in the last three and a half years and this figure can be doubled in two or three years. With the right policy of the state, we can invest up to $1 billion,” he said.
In particular, according to Fiala, Dragon Capital is interesting, first of all, in warehouse and office real estate. He predicts further growth in rental rates in these segments due to limited new supply.
At the same time, in connection with the planned large volumes of commissioning new retail real estate in Kyiv, Dragon Capital is more interested in retail real estate in the regions.
“In the warehouse real estate segment it will not make sense to build new facilities until the rates increase by 20%,” he said.
According to Fiala, since 2015, Dragon Capital has acquired 22 properties with a total area of 620,000 square meters in different segments.
“Half of this portfolio is warehouses, and more than 150,000 are offices, as well as commercial real estate… This is a big load on our resources… We had to create a real estate management team from scratch – more than 100 employees. The portfolio shows an increase in operating income of 10-15%. This year, growth may be even higher,” he said.
