The production of cable and wire products in Ukraine in the first quarter of 2021 decreased by 8.2% (by weight of metal) compared to the same period in 2020, the Ukrelektrokabel association reported on its website on Monday.
“Due to quarantine restrictions, a rapid decrease in demand, an uncontrolled rise in prices for raw materials and other unfavorable factors, in the first quarter of 2021 the enterprises of the association and the cable industry of Ukraine showed a decline,” the association said.
According to the analysis of the activities of the member enterprises, the processing of copper decreased by 12.1%, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) compounds by 13.1%, polyethylene by 8.5%, and insulating varnishes by 25.2%.
A significant decrease in production was demonstrated, in particular, by self-supporting insulated and protected wires by 30.1%; power cables with voltage up to 1 kV by 23.5%; electrical wires for power units by 27.7%, and lighting cords and wires by 18.1%.
The production of wires for industrial blasting operations fell even more significantly by 66.2% and radio frequency cables by 55%.
In addition, Ukrelektrokabel informs, in the first quarter, TF Cable Ukraine LLC (Chernihiv), a manufacturer of cable and wire products for energy distribution networks, has completely ceased production and 25% of the personnel were laid off.
According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs, TF Cable Ukraine LLC with a charter capital of UAH 125.6 million was registered in 2008, and 100% of its shares are owned by the Polish company Tele-Fonika Kable.
According to Ukrelektrokabel, the negative events also included the forced reduction of 60% of the personnel at Cable Factory LLC (Kamianets-Podilsky), which produces installation cables and wires, as well as 15% of the personnel at Odesa-based Twomen Cable Factory (production of telecommunication copper and fiber-optic cables).
According to the data on the association’s website, it unites 18 manufacturers of cable and wire products, including large ones: Odeskabel, Pivdencable (Yuzhcable) plants (Kharkiv) and others.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Hungarian Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás.
“Ukraine is a very important neighbor of Hungary. Therefore, we are ready to meet. It rests with Ukraine to decide,” Gulyás said in an interview with Varosh published on Thursday.
He stressed that there are no additional conditions for this meeting.
“The Hungarian Prime Minister is ready to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky,” Gulyás added.
TOP 20 COUNTRIES UKRAINE HAS POSTED THE HIGHEST SURPLUS OF TRADE IN GOODS IN JAN-FEB 2021 (THSD USD)
The Cabinet of Ministers expects the hryvnia exchange rate in the range of UAH 28 or UAH 29 per $1 in 2022-2023 and inflation will decrease to 6.2% in 2022 and 5% in 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The head of government said the relevant indicators are laid down in the Budget Declaration and the 2022-2024 Forecast of Economic and Social Development, approved by the government.
“The growth of salaries in the next three years will be approximately 8% to 10% per year (taking into account inflation). Inflation will return to the target of 5% in 2023, and it will be 6.2% in 2022,” Shmyhal said.
According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the approved documents provide for the reduction of the budget deficit by almost half and the return of this indicator to the planned 3% in 2023.
“The public debt is planned to be reduced to less than 50% of GDP,” Shmyhal said.
At the same time, from 2023, Ukraine will be able to enter a stable trend of economic development by 5% per year, he said.
Metinvest, the largest Ukrainian mining and metallurgical holding, in 2020 ranked 45th in the list of the world’s largest steel producers with a volume of 10.16 million tonnes compared to the 42nd place in 2017-2019, when it produced 9.59 million tonnes, 9.37 million tonnes and 9.58 million tonnes, respectively.
According to the annual compilation published by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), China Baowu Group became the largest steel company last year with 115.29 million tonnes, and ArcelorMittal dropped to the second place from the first position with 78.46 million tonnes.
They are followed by Shagang Group with 41.59 million tonnes, Nippon Steel with 41.58 million tonnes, HBIS Group with 43.76 million tonnes, and POSCO with 40.58 million tonnes.
There are no Ukrainian companies in the list of the 50 largest world steel producers in 2020, as well as in 2014-2019, except for Metinvest. Industrial Union of Donbas corporation (ISD), which ranked 44th in 2013 with a production volume of 7.9 million tonnes, dropped out of the list of leaders.
According to Worldsteel, Ukraine produced 20.6 million tonnes of steel in 2020 and ranked 12th.
