The negative balance of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in January-August 2022 increased by 2.9 times compared to the same period in 2021 – to $5.421 billion from $1.895 billion, the State Statistics Service (Gosstat) reported on Thursday.
According to its data, the export of goods from Ukraine for the reporting period compared with January-August 2021 decreased by 30.8% – to $28.946 billion, imports – by 21.4%, to $34.367 billion.
The State Statistics Service clarifies that in August this year, compared to July 2022, the seasonally adjusted volume of exports increased by 0.1%, to $3.137 billion, and imports, by 1.3%, to $4.504 billion.
The seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance in August 2022 was negative and amounted to $1.367 billion, while in July 2022 it was also negative and amounted to $1.314 billion.
The State Statistics Service specified that foreign trade operations were carried out with partners from 227 countries of the world.
Stock indices of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region are confidently rising in trading on Friday after several days of decline this week.
The Hong Kong Hang Seng jumped 3.5% by 8:25 am. The indicator fell for six sessions in a row, after which it fell to its lowest point in the last 11 years. China’s Shanghai Composite index, meanwhile, added 1.8%.
In Hong Kong, the shares of biopharmaceutical companies are most actively rising in price: papers of Wuxi Biologics Inc. add 12.4%, Sino Biopharmaceutical (SPB: 1177) Ltd. – 8.2% and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. – 6%.
In addition, the shares of real estate development companies are becoming leaders in the growth of quotations: Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd. rises in price by 9%, Longfor Group Holdings Ltd. – by 5.7%.
Investors are also evaluating September data on changes in consumer and producer prices in China.
Consumer prices (CPI) rose 2.8% year-on-year last month after rising 2.5% in August, the National Bureau of Statistics (GSO) of the People’s Republic of China said. Analysts on average also expected growth to accelerate to 2.8%, according to Trading Economics. The rate of increase was the highest since April 2020.
Producer prices (PPI index) in China last month rose by 0.9% in annual terms – the lowest rate in 20 months. Analysts’ consensus forecast was for growth to slow to 1% in September from 2.3% in July. The PPI fell 0.1% on the previous month (-1.2% in August).
The value of the Japanese Nikkei 225 index by 8:30 Moscow time increased by 3.3%.
Shares of Asia’s largest clothing retailer Fast Retailing Co. jumped 8%. The company’s net profit for the fiscal year that ended on August 31 jumped 61%, while revenue jumped 7.9%. Fast Retailing expects operating income to increase by 18% in the current financial year.
The growth leaders of quotations are also securities of IT company NTT Data Corp. (+5.6%) and pharmaceutical Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. (+5.5%).
The South Korean index Kospi added 2.3% by 8:40 Moscow time.
Quotes of securities of one of the world’s largest manufacturers of chips and electronics Samsung Electronics Co. grow by 2.2%, the value of automaker Kia Corp. increased by 1.2%.
The Australian S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.75%.
The capitalization of the world’s largest mining company BHP rose 2%, while shares of its rival Rio Tinto rose 1.1%.
Metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine in January-September of this year reduced revenues from the export of ferrous metals by 31% compared to the same period last year – up to $3 billion 965.813 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), ferrous metals accounted for 11.99% of total merchandise export earnings over this period, compared to 21.33% in January-September 2021.
In September, proceeds from the export of ferrous metals amounted to $241.452 million.
At the same time, Ukraine in January-September of this year reduced imports of similar products by 38.2% – to $667.329 million. In September, it was imported for $108.237 million.
In addition, during the specified period, Ukraine reduced the export of metal products by 25.4% – to $805.118 million. In September, they were delivered for $337.429 million.
Imports of metal products in January-September decreased by 40.7% – to $467.689 million (in September – $54.5 million).
As reported, Ukraine in 2021 increased foreign exchange earnings from exports of ferrous metals by 81.4% compared to 2020, to $13 billion 951.117 million. Ferrous metals accounted for 20.49% of total revenues from exports of goods over this period against 15 .63% for 2020.
At the same time, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 48.8% in 2021, to $1 billion 547.477 million.
In addition, Ukraine in 2021 increased the export of metal products by 43% – up to $1 billion 293.199 million.
Imports of metal products over the past year increased by 28% – up to $1 billion 125.908 million.
The rate of bitcoin fell by 4% during trading on Thursday after the publication of data on higher-than-expected inflation in the United States.
The price of bitcoin at 16:11 CST fell by 4.4% compared to the closing level of the previous trading and amounted to $18,312 thousand, which is the lowest level since June 18.
The rate of ether (Ether) fell by 6.6%, to $1.212 thousand.
Consumer prices (CPI index) in the US in September rose by 8.2% compared to the same month last year, showed data published on Thursday by the country’s Ministry of Labor. Thus, inflation slowed to a seven-month low from 8.3% in August, but was higher than the 8.1% expected by analysts polled by Bloomberg.
On a monthly basis, the CPI index increased by 0.4%, although analysts were expecting a rise of 0.2%.
Meanwhile, consumer price growth excluding the cost of food and energy (Core CPI) in September accelerated to 6.6% in annual terms from 6.3% in August.
“The whole world is looking at US inflation data to try and predict what the Fed is doing,” said Stefan Rast, founder of research firm Truflation.
Higher-than-expected inflation raises the possibility of another 75 basis point rate hike at the next Fed meeting on November 1-2.
Ukraine has received $1.3 billion in additional emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.
“$1.3 billion of additional emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund has arrived in Ukraine. The funds will be used to finance priority needs: strengthening defense capabilities, paying pensions, social programs and supporting the economy,” Shmyhal wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday.
According to him, in general, since the beginning of the full-scale war, the IMF has provided Ukraine with $2.7 billion.
“Also, in the near future, we will start preparing a new special program with the Fund, which will start working next year. We thank our partners and allies for their unwavering support,” the prime minister said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for continuing the implementation of the Istanbul agreement on the shipment of grain and fertilizers from Black Sea ports.
“There is yet another question regarding grains and fertilizers. [It is necessary] to strengthen the Istanbul agreement and to continue its fulfillment so that Russian fertilizers reach the poorest countries via Turkey,” Erdoğan said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The UN, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine signed a document in Istanbul on July 22 to open a grain corridor from three Ukrainian ports – Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdenny.
