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.
In January-May this year, Ukraine’s metallurgical enterprises increased revenues from ferrous metal exports by 3.62% year-on-year to $1 billion 262.746 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Friday, ferrous metals accounted for 7.45% of total export revenues during this period, compared to 7.24% in January-May 2024.
In May, export earnings amounted to $267.702 million, while in the previous month it was $266.358 million.
At the same time, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 10.1% to $663.150 million in January-May 2025. In May, products worth $159.463 million were imported.
In addition, in January-May 2025, Ukraine increased exports of metal products by 6.1% to $427.902 million. In May, they were exported for $97.382 million.
Imports of metal products decreased by 2.3% to $413.680 million over the same period. In May, these products were imported for $86.712 million.
As reported earlier, in 2024, Ukraine’s steelmaking companies increased revenues from ferrous metal exports by 16.9% year-on-year to $3 billion 96.343 million. At the same time, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 13.1% last year to $1 billion 478.814 million.
In 2023, Ukraine reduced revenues from exports of ferrous metals by 41.6% compared to 2022, to $2 billion 647.72 million, with ferrous metals accounting for 7.3% of total revenues from exports of goods during this period, while in 2022 the share was 10.3%. At the same time, in 2023, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 37% to $1 billion 307.05 million.
In addition, in 2023, Ukraine decreased exports of metal products by 16.6% year-on-year to $877.92 million. At the same time, imports of metal products increased by 40.3% to $902.57 million during this period.
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
Legislative initiatives to compensate industrial investments through taxes (draft laws 13414 and 13415) will require a transparent mechanism for applying for and controlling the targeted use of funds, said Taras Onyshchenko, lawyer at Barristers Commercial.
“These draft laws promise to be a ”historic step” in stimulating investment, in particular, in the construction of new industrial facilities. The initiative envisages the introduction of a mechanism for partial compensation of investment costs through tax benefits, which is a common and successful practice in the European Union. At the same time, there are certain challenges and implementation risks that will require careful attention,” he toldInterfax-Ukraine.
Among the positive expectations from the adoption of the draft law, Onyshchenko mentioned, in particular, a significant stimulation of economic growth, “since the proposed investment compensation mechanisms can significantly reduce risks and increase the profitability of projects, encouraging investment in the manufacturing sector.”
“The successful experience of the EU shows the effectiveness of such instruments, which can help both attract new capital and return investments that have been withdrawn or relocated. In addition, new and modernized production facilities will inevitably lead to the creation of new jobs and employment growth. Compensation for equipment costs will stimulate the introduction of modern technologies and increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian products on the global market,” he said.
At the same time, Onishchenko emphasizes that for the effective implementation of the proposed mechanisms, “it will be important to carefully calculate the potential fiscal impact on state budget revenues, especially in the short term.”
“For successful implementation, it is necessary to develop the most transparent, efficient and non-bureaucratic mechanism for submitting applications, reviewing them, verifying expenditures and monitoring the targeted use of investments, as the complexity of the procedures may offset all the benefits of compensation. It is also crucial to have clear definitions, in particular, the definition of “processing industry” and “equipment according to the UKTZED” to avoid ambiguities and abuses,” he said.
In addition, the lawyer believes that it is necessary to “ensure synergy so that the new mechanism complements, rather than duplicates or conflicts with existing investment support instruments.” Onishchenko reminded that Ukraine already uses a number of instruments to support business and investment. These include the Affordable Loans 5-7-9% program, grants for processing up to UAH 8 million, benefits for participants in industrial parks, and state support for “projects with significant investments” (from EUR 12 million), which is provided under a separate law. In addition, there is a system of investment insurance against military and political risks.
“However, draft laws 13414/13415 are distinguished by their comprehensiveness and accessibility, which makes them unique among existing instruments. Unlike the aforementioned programs, they offer direct compensation through a wide range of taxes, significantly reduce the entry threshold for investors (starting from EUR 100 thousand) and, most importantly, apply to existing businesses. This approach creates a more flexible and comprehensive incentive tool compared to targeted programs or incentives that are mainly focused on very large investments or have specific conditions,” the lawyer said.
As reported, draft laws 13414 and 13415 are focused on supporting the processing industry, which is recognized as a key sector for value creation and economic growth in Ukraine. Investors are expected to be able to recover a significant portion of their investment costs. These costs cover a wide range of capital investments, including the construction of utility networks and related infrastructure, acquisition, construction, modernization and technical/technological re-equipment of buildings and structures, as well as the acquisition of equipment in accordance with the UKTZED and land plots.
The compensation mechanism will be implemented through a reduction in tax liabilities for major taxes. In particular, these include income tax, import VAT on equipment, import duty on equipment, property tax, and land tax. The amount of compensation will depend on the size of the investment project. The key innovation and significant advantage of this mechanism is that it will be available not only to brand new businesses, but also to existing ones that invest in the development and modernization of their production facilities.
The initiator and co-author of draft laws 13414 and 13415, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development Dmytro Kysylevskyi, said that the draft laws were registered jointly by 55 MPs from different factions and groups, including Danylo Hetmantsev, Andriy Motovylovets, and Dmytro Natalukha.
The draft laws No. 13414 and No. 13415 provide for amendments to the Tax and Customs Codes regarding compensation for investments through taxes.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1083281.html
