In January-November this year, Ukrainian companies increased imports of copper and copper products in value terms by 6.1% year-on-year to $127.286 million.
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Monday, exports of copper and copper products increased by 24.5% to $81.110 million over the period under review.
In November, Ukraine imported copper worth $11.033 million and exported it worth $8.129 million.
As reported, in 2023, Ukraine increased imports of copper and copper products by 2.2 times compared to 2022 – up to $140.795 million, while exports decreased by 20.1% to $72.078 million.
Copper is widely used in electrical engineering, pipe manufacturing, alloys, medicine and other industries.
Oil prices are rising on Monday amid weak trading activity before the Christmas holidays.
On Wednesday, stock exchanges in the US, UK, Germany, France and other European countries, as well as Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia, will be closed for Christmas. Many sites will remain closed on Thursday as well.
The cost of February futures for Brent on the London ICE Futures exchange as of 7:20 a.m. is $73.27 per barrel, which is $0.33 (0.45%) higher than at the close of the previous trading. On Friday, these contracts fell by $0.06 (0.1%) to $72.94 per barrel.
Futures for WTI for February in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) have risen in price by this time by $0.38 (0.55%) to $69.84 per barrel. At the end of the previous session, the value of these contracts increased by $0.08 (0.1%) to $69.46 per barrel.
Last week, Brent fell by 2.1%, WTI – by 1.9%.
On Monday, traders are evaluating the statements of US President-elect Donald Trump, who demanded that the Panama Canal Authority reduce the fee for the passage of ships through this waterway. Otherwise, Washington may regain control of this facility, Trump said.
“Trump’s threats and rhetoric in the international arena are mostly just noise for the oil markets at the moment,” said Vanda Hari, founder of Vanda Insights in Singapore. – “Given the low trading activity and the lack of strong market signals, I expect the sideways trend to continue until the end of the year.
Experts at Haitong Futures, whose review was cited by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, note that the US statistics released on Friday showed a weaker-than-expected increase in the Federal Reserve’s key inflation indicator (PCE index). This somewhat eased investors’ fears of a sharp slowdown in the pace of policy easing by the US Central Bank, Haitong said in a review.
Passenger traffic across the Ukrainian border this week (December 14-20) jumped by 28.1% compared to the previous week to 584 thousand people as the Christmas and New Year holidays approached.
According to the State Border Guard Service’s Facebook page, the number of crossings for exit increased from 233 thousand to 294 thousand, while the number of crossings for entry increased from 223 thousand to 290 thousand.
The number of vehicles crossing the checkpoints increased from 120,000 to 134,000 over the week, while the flow of vehicles carrying humanitarian aid increased from 595,000 to 633,000.
“Due to the pre-Christmas period, passenger traffic at the checkpoints in Lviv region increased by 25%. The dynamics of border crossing shows a slight advantage of citizens leaving Ukraine over entering. At the same time, there is a general increase in passenger traffic both entering and leaving Ukraine, which is why there is an accumulation of vehicles at some checkpoints,” the State Border Guard Service said.
According to the State Border Guard Service, while last Saturday 42 thousand vehicles were leaving Ukraine and 40 thousand were entering, this Saturday the number of vehicles was 66 thousand and 67 thousand, respectively, and the number of vehicles increased from 21 thousand to 24 thousand.
On the border with Poland, the highest traffic dynamics as of 12:00 is recorded at the checkpoints Krakovets (140 cars), Shehyni and Ustyluh (90 each), Nyzhankovychi (75) and Smolnytsia (65), slightly less – at Hrushev (60), Uhryniv and Rava-Ruska (40).
At the border with Hungary, the longest queue is at Vylok with 70 cars, while the rest of the checkpoints – Kosyno, Luzhanka, Tisa, and Dzvinkove – have between 40 and 30 cars.
At the Maly Berezny checkpoint on the border with Slovakia, 65 cars have accumulated, while at Uzhhorod, 45 cars have accumulated, and there are no queues at the border with Romania and Moldova.
The total number of people crossing the border in the third week of winter this year is slightly lower than last year’s: 290,000 people left Ukraine and 314,000 entered during the same seven days, with a traffic flow of 133,000 cars. Last year, this week, passenger traffic increased by 33.3%, while the following week it decreased by 3.6%.
As reported, on May 10, 2022, the outflow of refugees from Ukraine, which began with the outbreak of war, was replaced by an influx that lasted until September 23, 2022 and amounted to 409 thousand people. However, since the end of September, possibly under the influence of news about mobilization in Russia and “pseudo-referendums” in the occupied territories, and then massive shelling of energy infrastructure, the number of people leaving has been exceeding the number of people entering. It temporarily stopped in the second half of December and early January during the holidays, but then resumed again and reached a total of 223 thousand people from the end of September 2022 to the first anniversary of the full-scale war.
During the second year of the full-scale war, the number of border crossings to leave Ukraine, according to the State Border Guard Service, exceeded the number of crossings to enter by 25 thousand, while since the beginning of the third year, the number of crossings to enter has increased by another 198 thousand.
As Deputy Economy Minister Serhiy Sobolev noted in early March last year, the return of every 100,000 Ukrainians home results in a 0.5% increase in GDP. In its macroeconomic forecast for this year, the Ministry of Economy has included 1.5 million people returning to Ukraine.
At the same time, the National Bank, in its October inflation report, again downgraded its forecast for the outflow from Ukraine this year from 0.4 million to 0.5 million. In absolute terms, the number of migrants staying abroad is expected to increase to 6.8 million this year.
According to updated UNHCR data, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe was estimated at 6.254 million as of December 16 this year, and 6.814 million in the world as a whole, which is 28 thousand more than as of November 18 this year.
In Ukraine itself, according to the latest UN data as of August this year, there were 3.669 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), which is 121 thousand more than in April this year.
According to regional authorities cited by the UN, more than 128,000 people have left Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine since August 1, including 24,000 who fled active hostilities, while approximately 330,000 remain in the region, including approximately 63,000 in active combat zones.
In Sumy region, the authorities estimate that 36,000 people, including 6,000 children, were evacuated between August 1 and October 3.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov announced the start of construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad.
“The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad construction project, which for decades remained only on paper, is finally being realized. On December 27, official construction work will begin,” Zhaparov said at the third People’s Kurultai.
According to him, the railroad will become a strategic bridge between East and West, opening new opportunities for trade, tourism and industry.
In addition, the opening of the Bedel checkpoint on the border with China will strengthen the transit potential of the republic, accelerate the flow of cargo and passengers, create new business opportunities and strengthen trade ties with key partners, the Kyrgyz leader said.
Kyrgyzstan June 27 ratified an agreement with China and Uzbekistan on the railroad project. Under the trilateral agreement, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad will run along the route Kashgar (PRC) – Torugart (on the border of Kyrgyzstan and PRC) – Makmal (Kyrgyzstan) – Jalalabad (Kyrgyzstan) – Andijan (Uzbekistan).
According to experts’ estimates, the annual volume of freight traffic along this highway may reach up to 15 million tons, and the time of delivery of goods to final consumers will be reduced by seven days compared to the existing routes. Transit and logistics infrastructure, warehouses and terminals will be created.
The construction of the railroad is tentatively estimated at about $8 bln.
The Ukrainian was awarded the fight 116-112 by all three judges.
Oleksandr Usyk won his heavyweight championship rematch against Tyson Fury by unanimous decision on Saturday, December 21, to stay unbeaten across two divisions and cement his place among the greats. The Ukrainian, who forced the pace and repeatedly tagged Fury with his accurate left hook, was awarded the fight 116-112 by all three judges, handing Fury his second straight loss.
Usyk’s win takes him to 23-0 with 14 knockouts and extends one of the all-time best careers that includes Olympic gold and undisputed champion at cruiserweight. “He’s a great fighter, it’s a great performance,” Usyk, 37, said of Fury, who was unbeaten over 35 fights until he lost their four-belt unification bout in May. “Unbelievable 24 rounds for my career.”
Only the WBA, WBO and WBC belts were on the line this time after Usyk, focused on the lucrative rematch, relinquished his IBF title rather than face challenger Daniel Dubois. By beating Fury in May, “The Cat” had already joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and Mike Tyson as undisputed heavyweight, and the first of the four-belt era. “He’s my best friend,” he said of Fury. “I respect this guy because I think he’s a really tough opponent. Tyson Fury makes me strong.”
But the defeat opens up an uncertain future for the 36-year-old Fury, now 34-2-1, who announced his retirement in 2022 only to return to the ring. “I thought I’ve won both fights, but then again I’ve got two losses on my record now, so there’s not much I can do about it,” said the Briton, who refused to discuss his next steps.
Promoter Frank Warren also called the judges’ decision “nuts”. But Usyk dismissed his complaints. “Uncle Frank, I think is blind… crazy man,” joked the Ukrainian. Fury, wearing a Santa-style red-and-white robe and bushy beard, appeared to Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, before a determined-looking Usyk strode out in Cossack gear.
The 6ft 9ins (206cm) Briton’s jab held Usyk at bay early on and he landed a jarring right in round two. Usyk caught Fury flush with a left as he raised the pace in round three. They went toe-to-toe in a punishing fifth round, with Fury pummelling body shots while Usyk launched a flurry to the head. In the sixth, he stung Fury with a clean hit to the nose.
The supremely fit Usyk, renowned for taking charge in the closing rounds, was the aggressor in the seventh, tagging Fury with a hook as the “Gypsy King” backed away. Fury regained the initiative in the ninth, wielding his jab and one-two combinations and leaning on the Ukrainian, employing his career-heaviest 281lb (127.4kg) of weight.
It was see-saw stuff as they traded blows but Usyk rocked Fury in the 11th with a lightning combination that ended with yet another left hook to the face. An Usyk uppercut to Fury’s chin highlighted a furious final round and there seemed little doubt about the winner as the Ukrainian sank to his knees, arms aloft.
Usyk, who briefly served as a soldier after the Russian invasion, then celebrated by holding up a sabre that belonged to Ivan Mazepa, a hero of Ukrainian nationalism who fought against Russian control in the early 1700s. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was quick to hail the victory, calling it proof that Ukraine “will not give up what’s ours” after nearly three years of war with Russia. “Victory!” Zelensky said in a post on Telegram. “So important and so necessary for all of us now.”
Reports put the prize purse at an increased $190 million with Usyk, as defending champion, expected to receive the bigger share – a reversal of fortunes from May.
The fight sits high in the portfolio of Saudi Arabia’s oil-funded push into sports, which has drawn accusations of “sportswashing” its dubious human rights record. After Formula 1, the LIV Golf tour, Newcastle United and a swathe of ageing football stars, the conservative kingdom’s strategy confirmed its crowning moment this month when it was awarded football’s 2034 World Cup.
The Ukrainian government has adopted a resolution that will provide Ukrainian citizens abroad with new opportunities, the Foreign Ministry’s press service reports.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to develop a modern, mobile, digital and service-oriented consular service capable of adequately and promptly responding to current and future challenges,” Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said, commenting on the adoption of the resolution.
Thanks to the adoption of the resolution, Ukrainian citizens abroad will have the following new opportunities:
1. issuance of ID-cards with delivery of a ready-made card by mail (only one visit to an embassy or consulate is required to submit documents);
2. issuance of passports in one visit for the collection of biometric data and subsequent receipt of the finished document by mail;
3. Registration in the State Register of Taxpayers through embassies and consulates;
4. exchange of a driver’s license or obtaining it after loss or theft;
5. A comprehensive service for registration of newborns, including: state registration of the child’s birth (issuance of a birth certificate); registration of the child as a citizen of Ukraine; registration of the child in the Unified State Demographic Register (assignment of a unique record number in the register); registration of the child in the State Register of Taxpayers.
From now on, applications for services can be submitted through the portal or the Diia mobile application.
“I am convinced that millions of our citizens abroad will appreciate the innovations that simplify access to the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through digitalization. There is no need to travel many kilometers to submit and receive documents twice. This is a real time and cost saving for our citizens,” Mr. Sibiga said.
The Resolution “On the Implementation of a Pilot Project for the Provision of Certain Public Services and Certain Consular Actions on Applications of Persons Outside Ukraine Submitted by the Unified State Web Portal of Electronic Services and/or the e-Consul Information and Communication System” was developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
