The tenth annual meeting of the Ukraine-EU Association Committee in Trade (ACTA) was held in Brussels, where issues related to Ukraine’s export duties on soybeans and rapeseed, as well as temporary restrictions on the export of unprocessed timber, were discussed, according to the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
Ukraine informed its partners that a 10% export duty on soybeans and rapeseed was introduced in 2025 to support the development of agricultural processing within the country. At the same time, agricultural producers who export their own products are completely exempt from paying duties. Therefore, the mechanism introduced does not create additional financial costs for them.
“It is precisely through the proceeds from export duties on soybeans and rapeseed that the state will fill a special budget fund, from which programs to support agricultural producers are financed. First and foremost, these are programs for frontline territories, as well as grants for processing, greenhouses, orchards, compensation for agricultural equipment, insurance against military risks, and other key instruments. This allows us to maintain support for farmers even in wartime,” emphasized Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky.
The meeting participants also discussed decisions on regulating timber exports, including a temporary ban on the export of unprocessed timber (except pine) and the establishment of zero quotas until the end of 2025.
The Ukrainian side stressed that these measures are aimed at meeting the needs of defense and critical infrastructure, as well as reducing risks to the environment in wartime. At the same time, these measures prevent a shortage of raw materials on the domestic market.
It was separately noted that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is considering draft laws on the formation of an updated timber market model, taking into account security challenges.
The Ukrainian side stressed the importance of continuing an open dialogue with the EU on all temporary measures that the state is applying during the period of martial law. At the same time, maintaining access for Ukrainian products to the European market remains one of the key factors for economic stability and support for national production.
The Ukraine-EU Association Committee in Trade Composition (ACTC) was established in accordance with Article 465 (4) of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU to consider issues related to Section IV “Trade and Trade-Related Matters” of the Association Agreement. The CATS operates in accordance with the rules of procedure approved by Decision No. 1/2014 of the Association Council between Ukraine and the EU of 15 December 2014 “On the adoption of the rules of procedure of the Association Council, the Association Committee and its subcommittees”.
The Trade Committee meets annually and includes representatives from Ukraine and the European Commission.
As reported, a 10% export duty on soybeans and rapeseed for traders has been in effect in Ukraine since September 4, 2025. Agricultural producers who export their own products, or agricultural cooperatives that export the products of their members, are exempt from this duty, provided that the origin of the goods is documented. Until 2030, the duty will be reduced by 1% each year until it reaches 5%.
The Cabinet of Ministers has temporarily banned the export of unprocessed wood (except pine) until December 31, 2025, setting a zero quota for its export. This is done to provide the domestic market with raw materials, support Ukrainian woodworking enterprises, and stabilize the industry.
Components of state budget expenditures in 2021-2024, UAH billion
Source: Open4Business.com.ua
Serbia’s real GDP in the third quarter of 2025 increased by 2% in annualized terms, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia ( SERS) reported. According to seasonally cleansed data, GDP grew by 0.6% compared to the second quarter of this year.
The biggest increase in value added was recorded in industry and water supply sector – 2.9%, as well as in information and communication – 6%.
Decrease was noted in construction, where the output decreased by 11.7 %, and in agriculture, forestry and fishing – by 0.2 %.
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As of November 1, 2025, there were 2.2 million head of cattle in Ukraine’s private and industrial sectors, including 1.11 million cows, which is 3% and 1% less than in October of this year and 10% and 10% less than in the same period last year, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP), citing data from the State Statistics Committee.
The industry association specified that about 47% of animals are kept on industrial farms, and 53% on private farms.
According to the AMU, the industrial sector has 947,100 head of cattle, which is 2,000 head more (+0.2%) than on October 1, 2025. The number of cows is 384,100, an increase of 500 head (+0.1%) over the last month. Over the past year, the number of cattle on farms has increased by 28,600 (+3%), and the number of cows has increased by 8,800 (+2%).
At the same time, there are 1.74 million head of cattle in the private sector, which is 64 thousand head (-6%) less than on October 1, 2025. As of November 1, 2025, the number of cows in private households was 721,200, which is 17,000 (-2%) less than a month ago. Over the past year, the number of cattle in private households has decreased by 253,000 (-19%), and the number of cows has decreased by 137,000 (-16%).
AVM analyst Georgy Kukhaleishvili noted that the number of cows is declining mainly in the private sector. The decline in cattle numbers is a long-standing problem in Ukraine due to the lack of an effective state program to support dairy farming. The war has only exacerbated the situation.
The expert recalled that most farms in Ukraine were built in the 1970s and 1980s and no longer meet the requirements for keeping animals. The lack of premises suitable for keeping cows creates the conditions for a further reduction in livestock numbers. Many farmers are not investing in increasing their cow herds during the war and are experiencing a shortage of working capital. Farmers’ production costs are rising faster than the prices of finished products due to the increase in the cost of feed, the cost of electricity, the devaluation of the hryvnia, and the decline in the purchasing power of the population.
However, dairy farms in relatively safe regions of Ukraine are modernizing existing facilities and building new ones. They are also increasing their high-yielding cow herds. According to AVM estimates, as of November, at least 40 farms are modernizing and expanding their facilities.
However, in October, the growth rate of the cow herd in the industrial sector also slowed down, which may be related to the continuing “bearish trend” in the dairy market and the decline in prices for exchange-traded commodities and raw milk. Over the past month, the number of cows has not changed and has not grown on dairy farms in 14 regions, not only in the frontline regions, but also in relatively safe areas of central and western Ukraine, such as Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad regions, the AVM summarized.
PJSC Zaporizhkox, one of Ukraine’s largest producers of coke and chemical products and a member of the Metinvest Group, increased its blast furnace coke production by 3.05% in January-November this year compared to the same period last year, from 800,470 tons to 824,960 tons.
According to the company, 76.3 thousand tons of coke were produced in November, compared to 79 thousand tons in the previous month.
As reported, Zaporizhkox increased its blast furnace coke production by 2.1% in 2024 compared to 2023, to 874.7 thousand tons from 856.8 thousand tons.
In 2023, Zaporizhkox increased its output of blast furnace coke by 16% compared to 2022, to 856,800 tons from 737,400 tons.
Zaporizhkox has a complete technological cycle for processing coke chemical products.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its main shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
Kernel, one of Ukraine’s largest agricultural holdings, sold 499,000 tons of grain and oilseeds in July-September 2026 (FY, July 2025-June 2026), sold 499,000 tons of grain and oilseeds, with wheat accounting for 89% of the volume, the agricultural holding reported in its quarterly report.
“Profitability was further supported by favorable price conditions on the grain market, which helped to compensate for uneven yields in different regions,” the agricultural holding noted.
The agricultural holding named unfavorable weather conditions, which shifted the development phases of both grain and oilseeds, among the main features of the 2025 season. Two late spring frosts affected the growth of winter and early spring crops. A prolonged cool spring and summer with sharp fluctuations in day and night temperatures slowed plant growth in the northern regions. In the central regions, a constant shortage of soil moisture and limited rainfall hampered crop development and contributed to their premature wilting and early ripening.
According to published statistics, Kernel allocated 172,000 hectares to corn in the 2025 season, which is 98% more than last year. and thanks to a yield of 9.2 t/ha compared to 8.4 t/ha a year earlier, a gross harvest of 1,584 thousand tons was obtained, which is 18% more than last year.
In 2025, 94,000 hectares were planted with wheat (+1% compared to 2024), with a yield of 5.9 tons/hectare (-3%), resulting in 552,000 tons (-1%). The agricultural holding allocated 46 thousand hectares (-31%) for sunflowers, with a yield of 2.7 t/ha (-4%) and a gross harvest of 124 thousand tons (-33%). The area under soybeans was reduced by 44% to 22,000 hectares this year, while the yield increased by 7% compared to last year and amounted to 2.3 tons/hectare, which allowed for a gross yield of 54,000 tons (-65%). In 2025, the agricultural holding allocated 22,000 hectares for the cultivation of rapeseed, other secondary crops, and fallow land, which is 44% less than last year’s volumes.
As of the end of September, Kernel had completed the harvesting of wheat, sunflower, and soybeans on 100% of its production areas, while corn was harvested from 87% of the areas.
At the same time, the agricultural holding completed the sowing of winter crops for the 2026 harvest and sowed winter wheat on 84,000 hectares and winter rapeseed on 38,000 hectares.
Before the war, Kernel was the world’s leading producer of sunflower oil (about 7% of global production) and its exporter (about 12%). It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. In addition, it is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
