According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, Ukraine in January-April 2024 increased imports of aluminum and aluminum products – by 26.6% to $136.761 million (in April – $38.235 million). Exports of aluminum and aluminum products for the first four months of 2024 increased by 5% compared to the comparable period a year earlier – to $33.008 million (in April – $9.608 million).
In addition, Ukraine’s imports of aluminum and aluminum products increased by 7.7% to $366.463 million in 2023.
Exports of aluminum and aluminum products last year increased by 0.7% compared to 2022 – to $97.616 million. In addition, Ukraine in 2022 reduced imports of aluminum and aluminum products – by 33.4%, to $340.398 million.
Exports of aluminum and aluminum products in 2022 decreased by 42.7% compared to 2021 – to $96.972 million.
Aluminum is widely used as a structural material. The main advantages of aluminum in this capacity are its lightness, pliability for stamping, corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, and the non-poisonous nature of its compounds. In particular, these properties have made aluminum extremely popular in the production of kitchen utensils, aluminum foil in the food industry, and for packaging. The first three properties have also made aluminum a major raw material in the aviation and aerospace industries (recently displaced by composites, primarily carbon fiber). After construction and production of packaging – aluminum cans and foil – the largest industry-consumer of the metal is the energy sector.
Ukrainian enterprises in January-April 2024, according to customs statistics, increased imports of nickel and products by 60.1% compared to the same period of 2023 – up to $8.484 million (in April – $787 thousand million).
Ukraine in 2023 reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 74.2% y-o-y in 2022 – to $15.391 mln. Ukraine in 2022 reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 49.9% y-o-y in 2021 – to $59.754 mln.
The main area of nickel application is metallurgy. It is used in the production of high-alloy stainless steels. By adding nickel to the iron melt, metallurgists obtain strong and ductile alloys that are highly resistant to corrosion and high temperatures.
Forecast of unemployment rate in Ukraine according to methodology of international labor organization until 2025
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Japan’s economy contracted 0.5% in the first quarter relative to the previous three months, according to preliminary government data. Analysts, whose average estimates are quoted by Trading Economics, had expected a 0.4% decline in GDP.
According to the revised data, the economy was unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2023, while previously reported growth of 0.1%.
On an annualized basis, Japanese GDP contracted 2% last quarter after a revised zero change a quarter earlier. The consensus forecast called for a 1.5% drop in January-March.
Consumer spending in the first quarter decreased by 0.7% relative to the previous three months, business investment – by 0.8%. Government spending rose by 0.2%.
Exports decreased by 5% after growth of 2.8% quarter earlier, imports – by 3.4% (+1.8% in October-December).
Earlier Experts Club analytical center and Maxim Urakin released a video analysis of how the GDP of the world’s countries has changed in recent years, more detailed video analysis is available here – https://youtu.be/w5fF_GYyrIc?si=BsZmIUERHSBJrO_3.
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Ukrainian enterprises in January-April this year increased imports of copper and copper products in value terms by 41.4% compared to the same period last year – up to $53.034 million. According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Friday, exports of copper and copper products for the period decreased by 8.1% – to $25.077 million.
In April, imported copper for $11.015 million, exported – for $6.949 million.
As reported, Ukraine in 2023 increased imports of copper and copper products in 2.2 times compared to 2022 – up to $140.795 million, exports decreased by 20.1% – to $72.078 million.
Ukrainian enterprises in 2022 reduced imports of copper and copper products in value terms by 64.3% year-on-year to $65.370 million, while their exports decreased by 56.3% to $90.245 million.
“Ukrzaliznytsia” plans pilot projects of inclusiveness of railway stations, starting with reconstruction of historical buildings in Kiev and Lviv, said the head of the project “Bezbar’ierna zaliznytsia” of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” Yarema Dul during the National Tourism Summit on Friday in Lviv.
“It is planned reconstruction of these stations, taking into account that these buildings are monuments of cultural heritage, raising the aprons, arrangement of elevators to them. Now the project documentation is being developed,” he told the agency “Interfax-Ukraine”.
According to the head of the project, these stations were chosen as pilot stations because they are leading in terms of passenger traffic served.
“The task is for the passenger to get into his carriage barrier-free. Today we have, for example, in Kiev, only the first platform is high,” he said.
At the same time, Yarema Dul added that part of the platform should remain low, so that it was possible to accept trains with low entrance.
