Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises in January-June this year reduced production of general rolled products, according to operational data, by 41% compared to the same period last year – up to 2.375 million tons.
According to the Ukrmetallurgprom association on Saturday, steelmaking in the first six months of this year decreased by 37.7% compared to January-June-2022 – to 2.829 million tons.
Iron smelting for this period decreased by 37.5% to 2.836 million tons.
As reported, Ukraine in the first five months of 2023 reduced output of rolled products by 47.8% compared to the same period last year – to 1.982 million tons, steel by 43.7% to 2.392 million tons, pig iron by 43.9% to 2.350 million tons.
Ukraine in 2022 reduced production of total rolled products by 72% year-on-year to 5.350 million tons, steel by 70.7% to 6.263 million tons, and pig iron by 69.8% to 6.391 million tons.
For 2021, 21.165 million tons of pig iron (103.6% by 2020), 21.366 million tons of steel (103.6%), 19.079 million tons of rolled products (103.5%) were produced.
The State Committee for Food Safety and Consumer Protection reminds that on July 11, 2023 the Law No. 1978 “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Protection of Public Health from the Harmful Effects of Tobacco” comes into force in Ukraine, which tightens measures on the use of tobacco products in Ukraine.
According to the law, advertising and promotion of sales of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and liquids for them will be prohibited in Ukraine. A ban on smoking with heating devices in all public places and premises similar to smoking conventional cigarettes is introduced.
Fines for the sale of tobacco products to persons under 18 years of age are introduced in the amount of UAH 1,020, and in case of repeated violation of the provision – UAH 10,200.
The ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes applies to vitamins and pseudo-useful additives; caffeine, taurine and energy supplements; additives producing colored emissions and facilitating the absorption of nicotine.
In addition, the law will restrict sales of e-cigarette liquids with or without nicotine if they have the above-mentioned additives, as well as refill containers with a volume of more than 10 ml, disposable e-cigarettes or cartridges with a volume of more than 2 ml, and with nicotine capacities of more than 20 mg per 1 ml.
Prohibited will be cigarettes and tobacco for self-twirling, which have a characteristic taste and smell of smoke, with nicotine or flavoring and aromatic additives.
Violation of the law provides for fines in the amount of UAH 20 thousand, and in case of repeated violation – UAH 50 thousand.
In the State Consumer Service reminded that since April 2023 in Ukraine resumed control over compliance with anti-tobacco legislation. The grounds for unscheduled measures of state supervision (control) in the sphere of anti-tobacco legislation are an independent application of a business entity, an order of the Prime Minister of Ukraine and an application of an individual.
Harvest of seeds of the main types of oilseeds in Ukraine in 2023/24 MY will grow to 19.5 million tons, which is 7.7% higher than in the previous season, predicted the association “Ukroliaprom”.
The industry association recalled that by exporting sunflower seeds from Ukraine sufficient to meet the needs of the EU and other countries in volumes, the country loses the market for sunflower oil and meal in these countries.
“The mass export of oilseeds from Ukraine to the world market has led to a sharp drop in prices, which has caused discontent among farmers in European countries. As a consequence, the mass export of sunflower seeds from Ukraine has led on the part of some EU countries to a ban on imports into their territory until mid-September 2023, and possibly until 2024”, – noted in “Ukroliaprom”.
The association expressed confidence that this would not have happened if the repeated requests of Ukroliaprom to limit sunflower seed exports, particularly to EU countries, by introducing additional fees and licensing had been taken into account.
Ukroliaprom expects soybean exports from Ukraine to exceed 3.0 million tons at the end of MY 2022/23, or more than triple against MY 2021/22.
“This may negatively affect domestic processing, which even under martial law remained not only stable, but also increased,” experts emphasized.
The industry association expects the highest production growth in MY 2023/24 for soybeans – by 12.2% to 4.107 million tons. This will happen thanks to a 20.5% increase in sown areas, which reached 1.84 million hectares, but the yield of the oilseed crop will increase by only 0.4% to 22.3 c/ha.
Sunflower production this season will increase by 6.5% year-on-year to 11.813 million tons. Despite the expansion of areas under the crop by 7.7% to 5.64 million hectares, analysts expect yields to be 3.3% lower than last year’s -20.9 c/ha.
Ukrpoliyaprom expects a 9.1% increase in the gross rapeseed harvest, which will amount to 3.318 million tons. It will be harvested from almost 1.35 million hectares (+16.3%) at a yield of 26.5 c/ha (-9.3%).
“At the same time, we should take into account significantly lower carryover residues of oilseeds in Ukraine at the beginning of MY 2023/24 against the beginning of the previous season. Accordingly, the supply in 2023/24 MY will be less, which requires urgent action at the government level to create conditions for maximum domestic processing and increase exports of products with high added value,” – summarized in the industry association.
Benchmark oil prices are falling Monday morning after a three-month record rise at the end of last week.
The price of September futures for Brent on the London-based ICE Futures exchange at 8:18 a.m. Q4 is at $78.02 a barrel, down 45 cents (0.57%) from the previous session’s close. On Friday, these contracts rose by $1.95 (2.6%) – to $78.47 per barrel, having updated the maximum since May 1.
Quotes of futures for WTI crude oil for August at the electronic trading of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) by the specified time decreased by 47 cents (0.64%) and amounted to $73.39 per barrel. At the end of the previous session they rose by $2.06 (2.9%) – to $73.86 per barrel.
Last week Brent rose in price by 4.1%, WTI – by 4.6%.
Positive factors for the oil market were the data on the third consecutive weekly reduction of inventories in the United States and the news about the extension of voluntary production cuts by Saudi Arabia.
As reported, commercial oil reserves in the U.S. last week decreased by 1.5 million barrels. Experts surveyed by S&P Global Commodity Insights, on average, predicted a decline of 3.6 million barrels.
Saudi Arabia announced the extension of a voluntary oil production cut of 1 million bpd for August. Thus, the country’s production in August will remain at around 9 mln bpd.
Uzbekistan’s incumbent president Shavkat Mirziyoyev won last Sunday’s early presidential election with 87.5% of the votes, the head of the Central Election Commission Zayniddin Nizamkhojaev said.
“According to preliminary data, 13 million 625,055 people or 87.5% of voters who took part in the voting cast their votes for Mirziyoyev,” the CEC head said at a briefing on Monday.
Under Article 35 of the law “On the Election of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,” this entitles him to be considered the elected head of state.
More than 19.5 million voters registered for the presidential election in Uzbekistan. Some 15,671,405 voters took part in the elections. Between June 28 and July 5, more than 800,000 voters, including about 188,000 abroad, cast their ballots early.
Four candidates ran for president of Uzbekistan, including current head of state Shavkat Mirziyoyev, nominated by the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Business People – Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (UzLiDep). His candidacy was also supported by the Democratic Party Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival).
The People’s Democratic Party nominated its leader Ulugbek Inoyatov, the Ecological Party its chairman Abdushukur Khamzaev, and the Social Democratic Party Adolat (“Justice”) its first deputy chairman Robakhon Makhmudova.
As a result, according to preliminary data from the CEC, 649 thousand 116 voters (4.2%) voted for the candidate of the PDPU, 693 thousand 634 (4.43%) for the representative of “Adolat” and the candidate of the Ecological Party got 585 thousand 714 votes (3.74%).
According to the CEC, the final results of the elections, held on July 9, will be announced within ten days.
In the past presidential election, 80.12% of the vote for Mirziyoyev, the UzLiDep nominee, October 24, 2021, was cast.
The current presidential election was the first since the introduction of constitutional amendments to extend the president’s term of office from five to seven years. According to the constitutional law, the incumbent head of state, Mirziyoyev, who is in his second term, can run for office again.
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has outplayed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and reached the final of the 2023 Roku Olympics, reports Suspilne. Sport.”
This is the sixth face-to-face meeting between Svetolina and Azarenka. The previous five were won by the participant from Belarus.
The game between Svitolina and Azarenka in the fourth round of Wimbledon lasted almost three hours. Svitolina won on the tiebreak in the deciding game.
Elina advanced to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the second time in her career, her best result remains the semifinals at the tournament.
Svitolina’s next opponent will be the first racket of the world, Iga Schwentek of Poland.
According to the results of Wimbledon Svitolina will enter the top 40 of the world ranking.
