Chinese authorities have issued temporary export licenses to companies supplying rare earth metals to Detroit’s “big three” automakers, Ford Motor, General Motors, and Stellantis, Reuters reports, citing informed sources.
At least some of these licenses are valid for six months. The specific metals and volumes covered by the licenses have not been disclosed.
In April, China decided to restrict exports of a wide range of rare earth metals. The country accounts for about 90% of global rare earth metal production.
In May, Ford was forced to halt production of its Explorer SUVs at its Chicago plant for a week due to a shortage of these metals.
US President Donald Trump, who spoke by phone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping the day before, expressed hope that trade in rare earth metals would return to normal.
According to one of Reuters’ sources, last week the Chinese authorities also issued export permits to suppliers of one of the US electronics companies, and this week to suppliers of a US non-automotive company.
Ford shares rose 2% in Friday trading, GM shares rose 0.9%. Stellantis shares added 2.4% in New York.
Passenger flow through western border of Ukraine in September 2024, thousand
The DIM.RIA marketplace for verified real estate analyzed
the situation on the primary, secondary, and rental housing markets in Ukraine in May
2025. The report presents the dynamics of prices, supply, and demand compared
to April 2025 and May last year.
Primary market
Supply
In May, the share of operating sales departments for new buildings
remained unchanged at 77%. During the month, four new buildings
(5 sections) were commissioned during the month: two in the Lviv region, one in the Kyiv region, and one in the Zakarpattia region.
The highest share of completed projects among all new buildings was recorded in the Rivne
(62%), Zaporizhzhia (56%), and Odesa (54%) regions.
Prices
Prices in the primary market in most regions are showing
growth. The highest price increases were recorded in the Chernihiv (+8%),
Zhytomyr (+8%), and Kyiv (+6%) regions. Only Kirovohrad showed
a decrease, averaging 5%. Kyiv remains the most expensive city, with an average
price of $1,409/m². The cheapest new buildings are in the frontline regions: Zaporizhzhia,
Sumy, and Mykolaiv.
Demand
The most noticeable growth in interest in new buildings
was observed in the Ternopil region (+22% compared to April). At the same time,
a significant decrease in demand was recorded in the Sumy (-25%) and Dnipropetrovsk
(-17%) regions.
Secondary market
Supply
The largest number of advertisements for the sale of secondary housing in
in May came from the Volyn, Rivne, and Mykolaiv regions.
Prices
According to the DIM.RIA marketplace, during May, the average
cost of one-room apartments continued to grow in most regions of Ukraine.
The largest increase was recorded in the Kherson region (+16%), although it remains
the cheapest for this type of housing.
The most expensive housing is in the capital: the cost of a one-room
apartment in Kyiv reaches $92,400. In terms of districts, Pechersky remains
the most expensive (almost $132,000), and Desniansky is the most affordable ($45,000).
Demand
In May, users were most actively searching for secondary
real estate in the Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, and Volyn regions.
The ratio of the number of purchase listings to the number of
responses to them in May in Kyiv was 1:3, with only the Odesa region having a lower ratio —
1:2. In the Vinnytsia region, it was 1:18, in the Ternopil region — 1:16, and
in the Mykolaiv region — 1:15.
Rental market
Supply
According to DIM.RIA analysts, the rental market was
unstable in May. The largest number of new listings appeared in the Chernivtsi (+35%) and
Zakarpattia (+29%) regions. In contrast, in Kirovohrad, the number of
offers decreased by 40%. In Kyiv, the decline was 22% compared to April.
Prices
Kyiv remains the most expensive city for rent:
the average cost in May was 18,200 UAH, which is 4% more than in
April. The most expensive apartments are in the Pecherskyi district — 26,300 UAH, and the cheapest are
in the Desnianskyi district (10,900 UAH).
In most regions, rental prices changed by
a few percent, with the exceptions of Zakarpattia and Ternopil regions (an increase of
11%), Cherkasy (-11%) and Chernihiv (-15%).
Demand
In May, users were actively looking for rental housing:
according to data from the DIM.RIA analytical center, interest was observed in almost
in all regions of Ukraine. The ratio of rental ads to
responses in May in Kyiv was 1:6, while in most
regions these figures differed several times over.
The full analytical
report and high-quality images are available at the link!
On June 4, the Parkovy Exhibition Center hosted the Ukrainian Construction Congress (UBC), one of the main industry events of the year, which brought together representatives of the development market, government agencies, the banking sector, and specialized organizations. Iryna Mikhailova, Marketing Director at Alliance Novobud, was a participant in the event. The expert not only spoke at the discussion on the state program “eOselia,” but also moderated one of the key panel discussions on “Affordable housing: how to make real estate accessible to Ukrainians.”
The panel speakers included representatives of development companies, financial institutions, and the public sector: Pavlo Somov, founder of EcoBud Building Group; Alla Dubrovyk-Rokhova, head of communications at Ukrfinzhytlo, partner at PGR Consulting Group, Ivan Parukh, deputy chairman of the board of the State Fund for Youth Housing Construction, Volodymyr Chornenkyi, director of retail business at Sky Bank, and Anna Laievska, commercial director at Intergal-Bud.
Participants discussed comprehensive approaches to creating an affordable housing market, ranging from state support programs to innovative development models, financial instruments, and cross-sector cooperation. Particular attention was paid to the challenges of wartime, which have significantly affected the purchasing power of the population, construction rates, and the financing of new projects.
A separate highlight was the participation of Iryna Mikhalova in the discussion panel “eOselya — a state investment in recovery,” moderated by Alla Dubrovyk-Rokhova. The panel brought together developers and bankers who shared their experiences with the program, its impact on the market, and prospects for development.
Ms. Irina answered several key questions about the program’s role in the company’s sales, its readiness to change the traditional model of construction financing, and its investments in additional buyer support tools:
“The єОселя program is not just a mortgage product; it is a marker of the state’s trust in the industry and its support for Ukrainians. For our company, this program has become an important factor in stabilizing sales in 2024–2025. We see a real impact on buyer activity and are ready to invest in partnership formats with banking institutions to support buyers,” said Irina Mikhaleva.
Alliance Novobud thanks the organizers of the Ukrainian Construction Congress 2025 for the high level of the event and for creating a space for constructive dialogue that moves the industry forward.
ukrainian_construction_congress irina_mikhalova ubc alliance_novobud
Impact of electricity deficit on real GDP vs no deficit, % (forecast up to 2024)
