In January-May this year, Ukrainian mining companies reduced exports of iron ore in physical terms by 12.8% year-on-year to 13 million 545,967 thousand tons from 15 million 542,428 thousand tons.
According to the statistics released by the State Customs Service on Friday, during this period, foreign exchange earnings from the export of iron ore decreased by 21.5% to $1 billion 73.888 million from $1 billion 367.161 million.
Exports of iron ore were carried out mainly to China (44.98% of supplies in monetary terms), Slovakia (17.17%) and Poland (16.65%).
In addition, in January-May 2025, Ukraine imported iron ore worth $46 thousand in the amount of 65 tons from the Netherlands (46.67%), Norway (28.89%) and Italy (24.44%), while in the same period last year it imported 303 tons worth $121 thousand.
As reported, in 2024, Ukraine increased exports of iron ore by 89.8% compared to 2023 – up to 33 million 699.722 thousand tons, while foreign exchange earnings increased by 58.7% to UAH 2 billion 803.223 million.
In 2024, Ukraine imported iron ore worth $414 thousand in a total volume of 2,042 thousand tons, while in 2023, 250 tons of this raw material were imported for $135 thousand.
In 2023, Ukraine decreased exports of iron ore in physical terms by 26% compared to 2022 – to 17 million 753.165 thousand tons. Foreign exchange earnings amounted to $1 billion 766.906 million (down 39.3%). The company imported iron ore for $135 thousand, totaling 250 tons.
Campari Group has reached an agreement to sell its Cinzano vermouth and sparkling wine production to Caffo Group 1915, a private Italian spirits company (owner of the Vecchio Amaro del Capo bitter brand), according to a press release from Campari.
The sale also includes the Frattina grappa production business.
The deal is part of Campari Group’s strategy and commitment to optimize its portfolio by selling non-core brands to strengthen its commercial and marketing focus on its core spirits business and simplify its overall operations, according to the press release.
The agreement provides for the contribution to the newly created company of the Cinzano and Frattina businesses, including all intellectual property, finished product inventories, certain production equipment in Italy, contractual relationships, and other related assets. Production facilities in Italy and Argentina, where the Campari Group also produces other brands, are excluded from the scope of the transaction.
The transaction, which is valued at €100 million, is expected to close by the end of 2025.
In 2024, net sales of Cinzano and Frattina amounted to €75 million. The average annual growth rate over the past four years was 5%. Their share in the Campari Group’s total sales amounted to 2%.
Rush LLC, the owner of the EVA network in Ukraine, will allocate UAH 162.4 million from its retained net profit for 2024 to pay dividends.
According to the company’s announcement in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), the sole member of the LLC made the decision on June 26.
Thus, the distribution of 20.5% of the balance of net retained earnings for 2024 – UAH 162.4 million out of the total amount of UAH 792.5 million – was approved for the payment of dividends. Dividends will be accrued no later than six months from the date of the resolution.
Rusch LLC, which manages the EVA network, was founded in 2002. As of the beginning of 2025, the chain had 1109 operating stores.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Rush LLC is Cyprus-based Incetera Holdings Limited (100%), with Ruslan Shostak and Valeriy Kiptyk as the ultimate beneficiaries.
In 2024, Rush’s revenue increased by 28.2% year-on-year to UAH 27 billion. Net profit decreased by 36.7% to UAH 1.4 billion.
Over the past three decades, pig farming has remained one of the most important components of global agricultural production. It has played a key role in providing the population with animal protein, shaping export flows in Asia and Europe, while remaining vulnerable to global epidemiological risks. Experts Club analysts have studied changes in the global pig population between 1990 and 2023.
“Pig farming is an industry where economics is closely intertwined with biological risks. It is extremely profitable in stable conditions, but it instantly suffers from any disruptions in the veterinary or logistics chain,” said Maxim Urakin, PhD in Economics and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
In the early 1990s, the total number of pigs in the world grew steadily, especially in China, which became the largest producer and consumer of pork. Mass industrial production, urbanization, and high demand for meat in the Asia-Pacific region stimulated capacity expansion. By the mid-2010s, the industry was at its peak: in some years, the number of pigs in the world exceeded one billion. This dynamic reflected the successful commercialization of the industry in China, Vietnam, Brazil, the United States, Germany, and Spain.
However, after 2018, the global pig industry faced one of the most significant challenges in recent decades — the African swine fever (ASF) pandemic. The epizootic, which began in China, spread to dozens of countries and led to a massive reduction in livestock numbers. In China alone, it is estimated that more than 100 million pigs were destroyed. This caused a meat shortage in the global market, price increases, a crisis in feed chains, and a reorientation of international trade.
“After the ASF outbreak, China began to actively reform the structure of pig farming, moving from small farms to large biosecure complexes. This also affected the global market, as demand for safe and controlled meat rose sharply,” Urakin explained.
Europe, in turn, found itself under pressure from environmental legislation and growing animal welfare requirements. In the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, the industry declined not only due to disease but also due to political decisions to reduce methane and nitrate emissions. In North America, the situation remained stable, although it was affected by tariff wars, especially in US-China relations.
Today, the global pig industry has partially recovered but remains in a phase of restructuring. China is gradually restoring its livestock population, but on new principles — with strict control of biosecurity, genetics, and investment in innovation. At the same time, more and more countries are investing in alternative proteins — cultured meat and plant-based pork substitutes — which poses long-term risks to the traditional industry.
“The future of pig farming is a symbiosis of biotechnology, sustainable management, and veterinary reliability. Those who cannot adapt will lose the market,” concluded Maxim Urakin.
A detailed analysis of the situation on the pork market and a visualization of global trends can be found in a special video review on the Experts Club YouTube channel.
AGRICULTURAL MARKET, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, EXPERTS_CLUB, PIG FARMING, URAKIN