Exports of goods in % to previous period in 2021 and 2022
SSC of Ukraine
Japan has already provided Ukraine with $1.1 billion in financial, humanitarian and military aid and intends to allocate another $500 million, the Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda said.
“As for the assistance, we have already provided $1.1 billion and we intend to provide another $500 million in aid. We are also considering other aid packages,” the ambassador said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
The ambassador stressed that since the first days of the full-scale invasion by Russia, Japan started to provide financial, humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.
Regarding military aid, he noted that by law Japan cannot directly provide weapons, but for the first time the Japanese government has decided to provide non-lethal equipment, including drones, helmets, body armor, winter clothing, as well as first-aid kits and rations.
“We continue to expand the list. And now we are in talks with our Ukrainian counterparts about the possibility of providing dual-use technology,” the ambassador added.
Matsuda also stressed that Japan also supports Ukraine through diplomatic efforts.
“We are reaching out to those countries that have not yet decided their position on this war, or to those countries that are still remaining neutral. These are the goals of our diplomatic approach. That’s how we try to convince them to support Ukraine or participate in international sanctions regimes,” he said.
An exclusive interview with Japan’s ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda will be published on the Interfax-Ukraine website.
On New Year’s Eve two initiatives of British and Ukrainian philanthropists were launched to support internally displaced people who evacuated with their pets, the projects press service said.
Operation paw-pose, an international campaign, forms and gives IDP-owners of pets a holiday box that includes a bowl, collar, toy, goodies, medicine, shampoo, vitamins and more. The release notes that anyone from overseas can purchase such gift boxes. More than 100 sets have already been purchased, 68 of which were given to the owners of cats and dogs from Kharkov.
Operation paw-pose will last until mid-January 2023 and is a joint effort of Save Pets of Ukraine team, U-Hearts Foundation, British agency Spottydog and domestic marketplace Epicentrk.ua.
“Four-Legged Santa” is a Ukrainian campaign that provides food for pets living with pensioners, internally displaced people, people who have lost their jobs, as well as families with many children and military families. “Four-legged Santa” has already received more than 5 thousand applications for help. The food for the project is partly provided by Kormotech’s Save Pets of Ukraine initiative. The campaign will last until January 19.
Kormotech is a global family company with Ukrainian roots and has been producing high quality pet food since 2003. The company has production facilities in Ukraine and in the EU, successfully exporting products to 33 countries own brands Optimeal, CLUB 4 PAWS, “Woof!”, “Meow!” and own brands of partners. The assortment has more than 650 items.
“Kormoteh” – the leader in Ukraine and is in the top 10 of the most dynamic and in the top 51 most powerful pet industry manufacturers in the world according to the Petfood Industry.
Save Pets of Ukraine is an all-Ukrainian initiative for comprehensive assistance to four-legged people in time of war. It was founded by Kormotech, a Ukrainian manufacturer of food for cats and dogs. During nine months of 2022, it was able to help more than 200,000 animals throughout Ukraine.
The U-Hearts Foundation is a non-profit community organization working to improve the lives of abandoned pets in Eastern Europe by providing them with food, medical care and assistance with adaptation.
Mining company Ferrexpo plc with major assets in Ukraine is aware of the detention in France of its non-executive director and majority shareholder Konstantin Zhevago, but the company understands that it is caused by matters unrelated to Ferrexpo.
“Ferrexpo’s board of directors is trying to clarify the situation and will inform the market as necessary,” the company said in a statement.
As reported, the detention of Zhevago in French Courchevel for further extradition to Ukraine became known in the afternoon of December 28.
“To date, at the request of investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation (GBI) managed to detain Konstantin Zhevago in Courchevel. You know that he is the subject of several criminal proceedings with the GBI. Now the documents for his extradition are being prepared,” Tetyana Sapyan, the GBI communications adviser, said on the air of the Ukrainian TV marathon.
According to the stock exchange’s website, immediately after the news broke, the shares fell lightning fast by 4.4 pence to 168.5 pence and are now trading at 163.3 pence, about 5.5% lower than before the news of the detention.
Ferrexpo’s share price has dipped as low as 96p in the past 52 weeks amid news of production stoppages due to power supply problems caused by Russian shelling of the energy infrastructure, as well as the general global iron ore market situation.
The company’s shares were also down to 96 p. p. on the news of the production stoppages due to energy supply problems caused by Russian shelling of the energy infrastructure, as well as taking into account the global situation on the iron ore market.
The U.S. dollar is getting cheaper against the euro, the yen and the pound sterling on Thursday amid weak trading activity in the last days of the year.
The calculated ICE index, which shows the dollar’s dynamics against six currencies (euro, Swiss franc, yen, Canadian dollar, pound sterling and Swedish krona), lost 0.15% in trading, while the broader WSJ Dollar Index lost 0.2%.
The ICE Dollar Index, which rose in September to its highest level in 20 years, has since declined 10%. Nevertheless, the index ends 2022 up nearly 9%.
The euro/dollar pair is trading at $1.0623 as of 7:45 a.m. Ksk on Thursday, up from $1.0613 at the close of the previous session. The exchange rate of the pound to the dollar is $1.2041 against $1.2021 the day before.
The U.S. currency went down to 133.73 yen against 134.48 yen at the previous trading session.
The situation in China remains in the focus of traders. The optimism caused by expectations of increased business activity in China after the lifting of the quarantine restrictions was replaced with fears of a new wave of COVID-19 disease in the world.
Earlier Beijing declared about its intention to soften the epidemiological requirements for those arriving to the country since January 8. In addition, the Chinese authorities will resume issuing documents for tourists wishing to travel abroad. The U.S. and Italy have already announced additional requirements for passengers arriving from China.
The exchange rate of the dollar paired with the yuan dropped to 6.9721 yuan/$1 in trading on Thursday from 6.9787 yuan/$1 the day before.
Oil prices continue to decline on Thursday with weak trading activity in the last days of the year.
Investors’ optimism connected with expectations of increase of demand for oil after lifting of quarantine restrictions in China was replaced with concerns of new wave of COVID-19 disease in the world.
Earlier Beijing announced its intention to soften the epidemiological requirements for those arriving in the country from January 8. In addition, the Chinese authorities will resume issuing documents for tourists wishing to travel abroad. The U.S. and Italy have already announced additional requirements for passengers arriving from China.
The cost of February futures on Brent oil at London’s ICE Futures Exchange was $83.14 per barrel by 7:15 a.m. KSC on Thursday, down $0.12 (0.14%) from the close of the previous session. Those contracts fell $1.07 (1.3%) to $83.26 a barrel at the close of trading on Wednesday.
The price of WTI futures for February at electronic trades of NYMEX fell by $0.28 (0.35%) by that time to $78.68 per barrel. By the close of previous trading, those contracts had fallen $0.57 (0.7%) to $78.96 a barrel.
“China’s rejection of travel restrictions could trigger a new global wave of COVID-19,” said John Driscoll, director of JTD Energy Services Pte. in Singapore, cited by Bloomberg. – This, in turn, may weaken the demand for oil and lead to lower prices.
On Thursday, traders will focus on the U.S. energy inventory data for the previous week to be published by the country’s Department of Energy at 19:00 MSK.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) report showed that U.S. oil inventories fell by 1.3 million barrels in the week ended December 23, after falling by 3.07 million barrels a week earlier.
