Starting August 12, 2026, Ukrainian companies exporting packaged goods to European Union countries must comply with the new uniform European packaging requirements set forth in EU Regulation 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste—the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The new rules apply not only to manufacturers from EU countries. The European Commission explicitly states that the regulation applies to all packaging placed on the EU market, regardless of material or origin. Thus, the requirements also apply to goods from Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, China, and other third countries.
The regulation entered into force on February 11, 2025, but its main provisions began to apply on August 12, 2026. It replaced the European directive on packaging and packaging waste, which had been in effect for over 30 years.
For Ukrainian businesses, this primarily affects manufacturers of food and beverages, cosmetics, household chemicals, consumer and industrial goods, as well as e-commerce companies that ship packaged products to customers in the EU.
The new regulations establish requirements for the composition and safety of packaging materials, the reduction of excessive packaging, and the potential for reuse and recycling. Manufacturers must assess the packaging’s compliance with the established requirements and issue an EU Declaration of Conformity.
For shipments from Ukraine, direct legal responsibility for placing imported goods on the European market often lies with an importer registered in the EU. According to the regulation, an importer is a company or individual located in the European Union that places packaging or packaged goods from a third country on the EU market. With regard to imported products, the importer is responsible for verifying compliance with established requirements.
However, this does not mean that Ukrainian manufacturers will not have to make any changes. In practice, the European importer will need to obtain from the supplier information on the packaging’s composition, confirmation of its compliance with requirements, and technical documentation. If a Ukrainian company is unable to provide these documents or if the packaging does not comply with the PPWR, the European partner will not be able to properly place such goods on the EU market.
One of the requirements, which will take effect as of August 12, 2026, concerns packaging that comes into contact with food. It must not contain PFAS—so-called “forever chemicals”—in concentrations exceeding the limits set by the Regulation.
At the same time, some of the widely discussed PPWR requirements are being phased in gradually.
For example, the requirement to ensure that all packaging is recyclable is set for 2030, and the new unified labeling rules will also be introduced later. Therefore, it would be incorrect to claim that, as of August 12, 2026, companies are already required to comply with absolutely all future PPWR standards.
For Ukrainian exporters, the practical significance of the reform is that packaging compliance is gradually becoming just as much a prerequisite for access to the EU market as the safety and quality requirements for the product itself. Companies in the food, light industry, chemical, and FMCG sectors, as well as manufacturers producing under the private labels of European retail chains, should pay particular attention to their packaging.
On August 3, 2026, the European Commission additionally published updated guidance for businesses on the application of the PPWR, while the general effective date for the main provisions of the regulation was set for August 12.
Source: EU Regulation 2025/40 and the European Commission’s guidance on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
In 2025, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine resumed imposing administrative fines for violations related to the submission of statistical reports, after no such resolutions were issued in 2023 or 2024.
According to Opendatabot, in 2025, the State Statistics Service issued 30 rulings totaling 5,100 UAH. By comparison, there were 21 such rulings in 2022, and none in 2023–2024.
The refund of fines is linked to the reinstatement of mandatory statistical and financial reporting. The State Statistics Service officially announced that, as of July 5, 2025, reporting once again became mandatory for enterprises, institutions, organizations, and entrepreneurs included in state statistical surveys.
Companies that took advantage of wartime exemptions and failed to submit the required information in 2022–2025 were required to file their backlog of reports within three months—by October 5, 2025. At the same time, the regular deadlines for submitting current reports were reinstated.
However, the practice of imposing fines in 2025 proved to be extremely uneven. All 30 resolutions were issued in just five regions: respondents in Vinnytsia, Zakarpattia, and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblasts received eight each; those in Mykolaiv Oblast received five; and one was issued in Luhansk Oblast.
Administrative liability applies for failure to provide statistical data, missing deadlines, or submitting inaccurate or incomplete information. According to Opendatabot, the fine for officials and sole proprietors ranges from 170 to 255 UAH, and may be higher in the event of a repeat violation.
In 2026, the reporting obligation remains in effect. The State Statistics Service has published a separate reporting calendar for 2026 and allows companies to review the required forms via the “My Reporting” service.
Source: Opendatabot, published on August 14, 2026; State Statistics Service of Ukraine.
ENTERPRISE, FINE, REPORTING, State Statistics Service, STATISTICS
PJSC “Chernivtsi Oil and Fat Plant” (COFP), part of the Vioil Group, reduced its net loss by 47.9% in January–June 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, bringing it down to 48.8 million UAH.
According to the company’s disclosure in the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) reporting system, its net revenue from product sales for the first half of the year increased by 33.9% to 319.6 million UAH.
According to the financial statements, in January–June of this year, the company recorded a gross profit of 0.5 million UAH, compared to a gross loss of 40.9 million UAH for the same period last year, while the operating loss decreased by 46.8% to 49.1 million UAH.
The document notes that in the second quarter, the Chornomorsk Oil and extraction complex, increasing its capacity to 1,800 metric tons per day of sunflower seeds, compared to the current capacity of 500 metric tons per day. Work has already been completed on developing a feasibility study, including visualizations, for this construction project.
In addition, a project was developed to modernize the DKVR -20-13 boiler has been developed to reduce the burning of hulls, and equipment has been procured to implement a scheme for granulating oilcake prior to extraction, with the aim of increasing the oil extraction unit’s capacity and reducing costs by lowering the oil content of the meal.
As noted in the report, by the end of the second quarter of 2026, 12.29 thousand metric tons of sunflower seeds and 5.93 thousand metric tons of soybeans had been processed; production volumes of unrefined sunflower oil totaled 5.47 thousand metric tons; crude soybean oil production was 1.38 thousand metric tons, sunflower meal production was 4.82 thousand metric tons, and soybean meal production was 4.49 thousand metric tons. Production of refined and deodorized sunflower oil totaled 0.05 thousand metric tons.
It is noted that the capacity utilization rate of the oil extraction plant for the second quarter of 2026 was 52.15%, that of the oil refining shop was 0.92%, and 0.86 thousand metric tons of granulated sunflower hulls were produced. Part of the hulls is burned in the plant’s boiler room; the steam generated is used to power the plant’s production processes and to heat the facilities. During the reporting period, 6.01 thousand Gcal of thermal energy were generated.
As of June 30, 2026, the plant had 1.2 million UAH in its accounts, compared to 8.3 million UAH at the beginning of the year. At the same time, the enterprise had no bank loans—neither long-term nor short-term.
The ChozhK complex includes an oil extraction shop with a capacity of 500 metric tons of sunflower seeds per day (actually processing 470–490 metric tons per day), seed storage facilities for 7,500 metric tons, and metal silos for 2,400 metric tons, a 2,000-metric-ton meal elevator; a hull pelletizing section with a capacity of up to 45 metric tons per day; and oil storage tanks with a capacity of up to 5,000 cubic meters.
The average number of employees at the plant in the first half of 2026 was 313.
The company is part of the “Vioil” industrial group—one of Ukraine’s leading producers of sunflower oil.
In 2025, ChOZhK reported revenue of 768.4 million UAH, which is 51.2% less than in 2024, and a net loss of 144.1 million UAH, compared to a net profit of 14.3 million UAH a year earlier.
OIL, PROCESSING, SUNFLOWER, VIOIL, ЧОЖК
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has raised its forecast for U.S. corn exports in the 2026/27 season amid ongoing supply constraints from Ukraine.
In the August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, released on August 12, the forecast for U.S. corn exports was raised by 75 million bushels to 3.3 billion bushels, or approximately 83.8 million metric tons. Compared to the July estimate, the increase amounts to about 1.9 million metric tons, or 2.3%.
The USDA explicitly attributes the increase in the U.S. export forecast to rising global demand and limited export capacity from Ukraine.
At the same time, the agency lowered its forecast for Ukrainian corn exports in the 2026/27 marketing year by 1 million metric tons—from 23 million to 22 million metric tons. Meanwhile, the estimate for Ukraine’s corn harvest itself, on the contrary, was increased by 1.8 million metric tons—from 30 million to 31.8 million metric tons.
Thus, Ukraine may harvest more corn than the USDA expected just a month ago, but a smaller portion of the harvest will be able to reach foreign markets.
As a result, the forecast for Ukraine’s ending corn stocks has been increased from 2.06 million to 4.86 million metric tons—more than 2.3 times the previous figure. At the same time, the USDA left its forecast for domestic consumption virtually unchanged.
The situation on the global market is different. The USDA raised its forecast for global corn trade in the 2026/27 season by 0.6 million metric tons—from 209.88 million to 210.48 million metric tons.
The United States is the main source of this additional supply. At the same time, the USDA lowered its export forecast not only for Ukraine but also for the European Union.
The U.S. agency also raised its forecast for EU corn imports, while estimates for purchases by China and Turkey were lowered.
The growth in U.S. exports is occurring against the backdrop of a virtually unchanged forecast for U.S. corn production. The harvest is expected to reach about 16 billion bushels and could be the second-largest in the country’s history. However, the increase in export demand will lead to a reduction in U.S. ending stocks by 137 million bushels—to 1.7 billion bushels.
The USDA also raised its forecast for the average corn price for U.S. farmers by $0.10 to $4.50 per bushel.
Consequently, difficulties with Ukrainian corn exports are already beginning to shift the global market in favor of competing suppliers. The U.S. stands to increase shipments by nearly 2 million metric tons compared to the previous forecast, while Ukraine risks accumulating significant additional domestic stockpiles.
In January–July of this year, Ukrainian companies increased their consumption of rolled metal by 0.27% compared to the same period last year, reaching 2.309 million metric tons.
According to a press release issued by the “Ukrmetallurgprom” association on Friday, 1.063 million metric tons were imported during this period, accounting for 46.06% of the domestic rolled steel consumption market.
According to “Ukrmetallurgprom,” in January–July 2026, Ukrainian steel companies produced 3.322 million metric tons of rolled steel (91.7% of the figure for the same period in 2025), of which, according to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, approximately 2.076 million metric tons—or 62.5%—were exported. In January–July 2025, the share of exports was
60.2% (2.182 million metric tons out of a total rolled steel production of 3.622 million metric tons).
The share of semi-finished products in export shipments in January–July 2026 was 42.58%, which is significantly higher than the figure for the first seven months of 2025 (32.58%). The share of flat-rolled products in exports from January through July 2026 was slightly lower than in January through July 2025 (43.74% and 44.55%, respectively). The share of long products, however, is noticeably lower than in January–July 2025 (13.68% in 2026 versus 22.87% in 2025).
The structure of imports in January–July 2026 is characterized by a marked dominance of flat-rolled products over structural steel (66.59% and 26.94%, respectively); however, in January–July 2025, the dominance of flat-rolled products over long products was significantly greater (74.77% and 20.19%, respectively).
“In January–July 2026, the domestic market capacity was 2.309 million metric tons of rolled steel, of which 1.063 million metric tons, or 46.06%, consisted of imports. In January–July 2025, the domestic market capacity was 2,302,700 metric tons, of which 862,700 metric tons, or 37.46%, were imported. “Thus, in January–July 2026, the domestic market capacity increased by 0.27% compared to January–July 2025, with a simultaneous 8.58% rise in the share of imports,” the press release states.
According to the State Customs Service, the main export markets for Ukrainian rolled metal in January–July of this year were the European Union (81.9%), the rest of Europe (9.6%), and the CIS (6.5%).
Among steel importers for the first seven months of 2026, other European countries ranked first (49.8%), followed by Asian countries (25.5%), and EU-27 countries (16.0%).
As previously reported, Ukraine’s rolled metal market grew by 21.73% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching 4 million 1.6 thousand metric tons. Imports totaled 1 million 603.6 thousand metric tons, accounting for 40.07% of domestic rolled metal consumption.
Ukraine’s rolled metal market in 2024 contracted by 6.26% compared to the previous year—to 3,288.4 thousand metric tons, while in 2023 it grew 2.19 times compared to 2022—to 3,505.6 thousand metric tons.
As of August 12, 2026, Ukraine had exported, since the start of the 2026/27 marketing year (MY, July–June), 2.952 million metric tons of grains and legumes, which is 4.8% more than it exported by the same date last year, when the figure stood at 2.818 million metric tons.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, citing data from the State Customs Service (SCS), total exports of grains, legumes, and flour reached 2.955 million metric tons, compared to 2.826 million metric tons on the same date a year ago—an increase of 4.6%.
By crop type, wheat exports fell by 18.3%—to 1.239 million metric tons from 1.517 million metric tons, respectively. Specifically, 175,000 metric tons of wheat were exported in August of this year, compared to 759,000 metric tons a year ago.
Barley exports fell by 28.1%, to 333 thousand metric tons from 463 thousand metric tons; specifically, 37 thousand metric tons of this product were shipped abroad in August, compared to 206 thousand metric tons in August 2025.
Corn exports as of the reporting date for the season increased by 66.4%, to 1.376 million metric tons from 827,000 metric tons a year ago; in August, 68,000 metric tons of corn were shipped to other countries, compared to 184,000 metric tons in August of last year.
As was the case last year, no rye was exported.
Flour exports since the start of the 2026/27 marketing year have decreased by 54.1% to 2,800 metric tons. As of the same date last marketing year, they stood at 6.1 thousand metric tons. In grain equivalent, flour exports totaled 3.7 thousand metric tons, compared to 8.1 thousand metric tons a year earlier.
