Ukrainian enterprises in January-May this year increased imports of copper and copper products in value terms by 93.2% as compared to the same period last year – up to $47.614 million.
According to customs statistics, released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, the export of copper and copper products for the period decreased by 27.5% – to $33.701 million.
In May, imported copper worth $10.122 million and exported – $6.399 million.
As reported, Ukrainian companies in 2022, imports of copper and copper products in value terms reduced by 64.3% compared to the previous year – up to $ 65.370 million, and their exports decreased by 56.3% – to $ 90.245 million.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chief Gary Gensler spoke out rather harshly about the cryptocurrency asset market, noting that the industry’s lack of compliance could damage the credibility of the U.S. financial markets.
“With such widespread noncompliance, it’s not at all surprising that there are so many problems in the cryptocurrency markets,” Gensler said, speaking at the Piper Sandler Global Exchange and FinTech conference on Thursday. – We’ve seen this kind of thing before. It’s all reminiscent of the situation we had in the 1920s, before the federal securities laws were passed. Speculators, scammers, con artists and pyramid schemes. People were standing in line in bankruptcy courts.”
“Cryptocurrency markets should not be allowed to undermine the public’s well-earned confidence in the capital markets. They should not be allowed to harm investor confidence,” the text of Gensler’s speech, which is published on the SEC’s website, reads.
The regulator has faced sharp criticism after accusations against cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Binance.
The SEC reportedly accused Coinbase of operating without registration as an exchange, broker and clearing agency in the United States. The same charges were brought by the regulator against Binance Holdings Inc. In total, the SEC charged Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao with 13 securities violations.
Gensler noted that most cryptocurrencies are subject to U.S. securities laws, so “most cryptocurrency brokerage companies must also comply with those laws.”
Appropriate registration of cryptocurrency exchanges, he said, is “the foundation of providing basic protections for investors and markets.”
“Cryptocurrency intermediaries may need to separate lines of business, put in place sets of rules to ensure protection against fraud and manipulation, properly segregate customer funds, and change their approach to clearing,” Gensler said. – That’s what protects investors. The fact that they built their platforms without taking that into account shouldn’t be a free pass to put investors at risk.”
International rating agency Moody’s on Thursday changed its outlook on Coinbase Global’s ratings to negative from stable, noting “uncertainty about the extent to which the SEC charges affect the company’s business model and cash flow.”
Coinbase’s corporate rating was affirmed at “B2.”
Forecast of dynamics of changes in ukrainian GDP in % for 2022-2025 in relation to previous period
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Kyiv authorities are initiating appeals on the need to improve the legislation in terms of the requirement of compulsory equipping new housing with shelters, the press service of Kyiv City State Administration said.
“Today, developers, unfortunately, bypass the existing requirements of compulsory installation of shelters in houses. The reason is in the gaps of the current legislation, which requires providing for shelters in the construction project or the possibility to use the shelter nearby. Well, the “or” should not be! We can see what it has led to: there are practically no new buildings in the fund of protective constructions”, – deputy head of Kyiv City State Administration Petr Panteleev is quoted in the press release.
In addition, he notes that the SES and local self-government are also removed from the process of taking the houses into use.
According to the KSCA, from 4.2 thousand shelters tested in the capital 2.9 thousand are suitable for use, another 736 can be shelters, provided they are properly equipped. 578 facilities do not meet the regulatory requirements for the premises where shelters can be equipped.
As reported, the law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on ensuring civil protection requirements during the planning and development of territories,” which, in particular, provides for mandatory placement of bomb shelters in new buildings, was signed by the president in August 2022.
The head of Kherson city military administration Roman Mrochko reported a decrease in the water level in Kherson region.
“I inform you: in Stepanovka village (Kherson city community of Kherson district – IF-U) the water level has dropped by 35 cm,” Mrochko wrote in his Telegram channel on Friday.
JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” (UZ) in May 2023 transported 1836 thousand tons of grain cargo, which is 33% less than a month earlier, said deputy director of the department of commercial work UZ Valery Tkachev at a meeting with representatives of agrarian business on Thursday.
According to his information 1147 thousand tons of grain cargo were sent for export last month, which is 46% less than in April. In domestic communication 683 thousand tons were transported, which is 16% less than in April. Average daily loading in May was 44 thousand tons.
“Two factors influenced the reduction of transportation – the blocking by the aggressor of the “grain corridor”, which affected the delivery of goods by rail to ports, as well as the blocking of exports through “solidarity corridors” by European countries, which led to a halving of cargo handling through the western borders of Ukraine”, – explained Tkachev.
He added that UZ is ready to increase transportation, for which it has sufficient resources.
According to the operational data of UZ, in the first week of June 2023 the volume of grain cargo loading was 380 thousand tons, or 15% of the total cargo. Average daily volumes of transshipment during this period amounted to 54 thousand tons, which is 2.2 times higher than in April.
According to Tkachev, the actual average daily volume of agricultural cargo transshipment through the border crossings in June 2023 increased by 90 cars compared to May. Grain cargo increased by eight cars per day.
A UZ representative said that 9,740 railcars, of which 1,084 railcars with grain cargoes, are heading toward the western border. The queue for agricultural commodities has decreased by 343 cars (24%).
“Wagon congestion is ‘dissipating,’ thanks to the balancing of border loads. As long as the grain corridor works, the load on the western borders is reduced. Also transfer through European countries became more active”, – UZ representative explained.
Speaking about the transshipment of grain at the Ukrainian-Polish border, Tkachev said that in May at the checkpoint “Yagodin-Dorohusk” average daily passed 17.3 cars with grain, crossing “Izov-Grubeshov” – 20 per day, crossing “Mostiska-Medica” – 22.13 per day. At the Romanian BCP “Vadul-Siret-Dornesti” average was 47.7 w/c with grain, BCP “Dyakovo-Halmeu” – 8.5 w/c.
At the Ukrainian-Hungarian border, grain cargo transshipment in May at BCP “Chop-Zakhon” was 39.5 per/c, at BCP “Bat’ovo-Betereshki” in May transshipment of 25.6 per/c was recorded, the maximum rate in May – 93.9 per/c.
“For all Western BCPs, if we analyze the statistics of the last five months, there is a sagging of shipments from one and a half to five times. The remaining restrictions on exports with the permission of transit significantly affect the export of grain through the western borders,” – summarized Tkachev.
The head of UZ reported that, as of June 8, 2023 in the direction of the ports of Greater Odessa moves 2663 railcars with grain cargo. The average daily unloading in June is 493 cars with grain. Unloading waiting time (queue) is 4.9 days.
As of June 8, 1,656 railcars with grain cargo are bound for Port Ismail. Since May 29, the queue decreased by 23.48%. The average daily unloading for June was 122 grain cars. Unloading waiting time (queue) reaches 11.3 days.
“The work of the “grain corridor” today is difficult to predict, the aggressor country constantly changes the number of inspections of ships and puts forward different requirements, in addition the work of the port “Southern” is blocked. The situation in the port of Izmail remains difficult because of the large accumulation of cars. Loading in the port direction is planned taking into account the processing capacity of consignees/operators, but due to weather conditions they unload significantly less than planned volume,” UZ noted.
