Zaporozhkoks, one of Ukraine’s largest coke and chemical producers and a member of Metinvest Group, increased its blast furnace coke production by 19.5% year-on-year to 715.1 thousand tons from 598.6 thousand tons in January-October this year.
According to the company, in October 2023, it produced 72.6 thousand tons of blast furnace coke, while in October 2022 – 70.6 thousand tons (an increase of 2.8%).
“In 2022, Zaporozhkoks reduced blast furnace coke production by 11.9% compared to 2021 to 737.4 thousand tons, including 70.8 thousand tons of coke produced in December.
“Zaporozhkoks produces about 10% of coke in Ukraine and has a full technological cycle of processing coke products. It also produces coke oven gas and pitch coke.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its major shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage the company.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
In January-September 2023, Ukrposhta JSC reduced its net loss by 15% compared to the same period last year – to UAH 594.8 million, according to the company’s report in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC).
According to the report, the state-owned company’s net income increased by 12% to UAH 8.36 billion.
The company’s operating expenses increased by 11.4% to UAH 9.3 billion. In particular, material costs increased by 27.9% to UAH 1.1 billion, and labor costs by 11.9% to UAH 4.5 billion. Social contributions increased by 3.8% to UAH 986.6 million. Depreciation and amortization increased by 23.9% to UAH 510.9 million. Other operating expenses increased by 4.6% to UAH 2.2 billion.
Long-term loans from banks increased by 4.3% to UAH 863.11 million in the first nine months of the year. Short-term loans remained unchanged at UAH 3.38 million.
The report also notes that as of September 30, the company violated financial covenants under a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It is specified that in September, Ukrposhta received confirmation from the EBRD of the bank’s intention not to charge long-term repayment on the loan and the risk to the company is minimal.
“The EBRD management has confirmed its intention to further cooperate with Ukrposhta in the implementation of projects. Accordingly, the EBRD loan liability was classified as non-current as of September 30, 2023,” the report says.
According to the report, Ukrposhta continues to operate in the context of the military conflict with Russia. As of the reporting date, parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions remain occupied, with about 12% of post offices located there. As of September 30, the company has 27.36 thousand points of presence, employing 35 thousand employees (in the first half of the year there were 25.5 thousand points of presence and 45 thousand employees).
The company also reported that it has UAH 3.3 million of C series bonds at par with a maturity date of November 18 this year.
Earlier it was reported that in the first half of the year Ukrposhta increased its net loss by 27.0% compared to the same period last year to UAH 653.7 million. Its net income increased by 20.0% to UAH 5 billion 580.13 million.
In January-October this year, Zaporizhzhia Iron and Steel Works “Zaporizhstal” increased its rolled steel output by 40.6% year-on-year to 1 million 652.5 thousand tons.
According to the company’s information on Thursday, steel production during this period increased by 49.7% to 1 million 997.5 thousand tons, and pig iron production by 27.1% to 2 million 190.3 thousand tons.
In October 2023, Zaporizhstal produced 267.3 thousand tons of iron, 251.7 thousand tons of steel, and shipped 208.6 thousand tons of rolled products, while in the previous month it produced 257.9 thousand tons of iron, 239.7 thousand tons of steel, and shipped 200.4 thousand tons of rolled products, and in October 2022 – 157 thousand tons of iron, 121.7 thousand tons of steel, and 101.8 thousand tons of rolled products.
“The increase in production in October 2023 compared to the same period last year is due to the removal of blast furnace No. 2 from hot mothballing and the establishment of three blast furnaces,” the press release explains.
As a reminder, due to the escalation of hostilities in the region, Metinvest Group put some of Zaporizhstal’s equipment into hot mothballing mode in early March 2022. At the end of March of the same year, the plant partially resumed the operation of its cold rolling mill to produce and ship cold-rolled coils to European customers. A month after the forced shutdown, the plant brought its equipment out of mothballing and partially resumed production. The plant is currently operating at an average of 70% of its capacity.
As reported, in 2022, Zaporizhstal reduced its rolled steel output by 60.4% compared to 2021, to 1 million 304.3 thousand tons, steel by 61.7%, to 1 million 491.3 thousand tons, and pig iron by 54.3%, to 2 million 9.9 thousand tons.
“Zaporizhstal is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Ukraine, whose products are in great demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries around the world. The plant specializes in high-quality steel hot-rolled coils, hot-rolled sheets, cold-rolled sheets, cold-rolled coils made of carbon and low-alloy steels, as well as steel strips, ferrous tin, and bent sections.
The main consumers of the products are producers of welded pipes, automotive, transport and agricultural machinery companies, and manufacturers of household appliances.
“Zaporizhstal is in the process of integration into Metinvest Group, whose major shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%).
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Polish carriers have postponed the start date of the blockade of freight traffic at three checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border from November 3 to November 6, Ihor Overko, head of the International Transport Association of Ukraine, said on Facebook on Thursday, citing one of the protest organizers.
“Polish carriers have announced that they are postponing the start of the blockade of freight traffic heading towards the three checkpoints from November 3 to November 6. This was announced by the co-chairman of the blockade, the organizer of the protest at the Krakowiec-Korczowa checkpoint, Tomasz Borkowski,” the statement reads.
The blockade will begin at 13:00 Kyiv time on November 6. The organizers of the protest have received official permission from local authorities to hold it until January 3, 2024, the statement said.
The blockade of freight transport will be organized in the direction of three checkpoints: “Yagodyn-Dorogousk, Krakovets-Korchova, and Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne.
One of the main demands of the protest organizers is to return to the practice of issuing permits for Ukrainian freight carriers and reduce their number to the pre-war level, when up to 200,000 permits were issued per year. In addition, the carriers want empty Polish trucks returning from Ukraine to Poland to be able to cross the border without an e-queue and without waiting 10-12 days. The carriers also demand to tighten the rules of transportation under the ECMT (certificate of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport).
Earlier it was reported that Polish carriers with the participation of 200 people and in the presence of 100 tractors planned to hold a one-day strike at the largest Polish border checkpoint “Yagodyn-Dorogousk” on November 3.
The Ministry of Reconstruction confirmed that it had received reports of a blockade of checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border, and then initiated a meeting with officials from Poland and the European Commission (EC) to ensure stable border operations.
In a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine, Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach said that most of the demands of Polish carriers threatening to block the border are unrealizable.
In October 2023, Ukraine increased imports of cheese by 70% and butter by 14% in monetary terms, the press service of the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine reported.
According to the report, in October of this year, 27 thousand tons of cheese were imported compared to 28.6 thousand tons in the same period last year, but more money was spent on its import – $160 million against $150 million.
“Imports of butter increased significantly, by 62% by weight, and the share of expenditures on it increased 10 times compared to last year,” analysts stated.
They noted that in the dynamics of cheese imports in the last three months there has been a moderate increase, which indicates increased competition in the domestic cheese market. The 14-fold increase in butter imports over the same three months led to a negative balance in international trade.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will allocate EUR 450 million to Ukraine for two recovery projects, with the first two tranches of EUR 100 million each to be approved by the end of 2023, the press service of the Ministry of Recovery reports.
The funds, with a total budget of EUR450 million, are reportedly allocated to two projects – Ukraine Recovery III FL and Ukraine Water Recovery FL.
Ukraine Recovery III FL (EUR250 million, first tranche – EUR100 million): aims to finance critical social and urban infrastructure. This includes the restoration of infrastructure damaged as a result of Russian aggression and the construction of new basic infrastructure to ensure decent living conditions for displaced persons and host communities;
Ukraine Water Recovery FL (EUR 200 million, first tranche – EUR 100 million): aims to finance investments in critical water infrastructure in areas directly affected by the war or where a significant number of IDPs live. This includes the restoration of water supply and sewerage, including measures to overcome the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
Funds from the European Investment Bank (EIB) are allocated as part of cooperation with Ukraine, the principles of which are laid down in the Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 21, 2023 in London at the URC 2023 conference. The Memorandum provides for the allocation of a total of about EUR 840 million in loans for the implementation of infrastructure rehabilitation projects in Ukraine.
Subject to final approval by the EIB Board of Directors and the EU4U Donor Committee, the first tranches of EUR 100 million will be signed by the end of this year.
