In January-July this year, Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works increased its rolled steel output by 38% year-on-year to 1.435 million tons from 1 million 40.2 thousand tons.
According to the company’s information on Friday, steel production during this period increased by 37.9% to 1 million 737.1 thousand tons, and pig iron production by 27.1% to 1 million 789.5 thousand tons.
In July, Zaporizhstal produced 261.9 thousand tons of iron, 250.8 thousand tons of steel, and shipped 202 thousand tons of rolled products.
It is also recalled that in 2023, the plant operated at an average of 70% of its capacity.
As reported, in 2023, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel output by 57.2% compared to 2022, to 2 million 54.7 thousand tons, steel by 65.4%, to 2 million 466.9 thousand tons, and pig iron by 35.3%, to 2 million 718.9 thousand tons.
“Zaporizhstal is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Ukraine, whose products are in great demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries of the world.
“Zaporizhstal is in the process of integration into Metinvest Group, whose major shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%).
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
According to Opendatabot, more than 228 thousand cars were imported into Ukraine in 7 months of 2024, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is 14.2% more than last year. 71% of all imported cars this year were used. This year, the average age of imported cars is 9 years. Demand for electric cars increased by 83%.
228,319 vehicles were imported to Ukraine in the first 7 months of 2024. This is 14.2% more than in the same period of 2023, when 199,980 cars were imported.
71% of the cars imported this year were used. Currently, the average age of imported used vehicles is 9 years. 42% of used cars imported to Ukraine are 10 years old or older.
Most of the newly imported cars were registered in Kyiv – 13.7%. Lviv (10.2%) and Odesa (7.4%) regions are also in the top 3.
Ukrainians are in stable demand:
VOLKSWAGEN – 25,498 cars (11.2%)
RENAULT – 17,479 cars (7.7%)
AUDI – 13,173 cars or 5.8%.
In terms of models, SKODA OCTAVIA was imported the most – 5,047 units. The next positions were taken by VOLKSWAGEN GOLF and VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT – 4,965 and 4,147 cars respectively.
Gasoline cars remain the most popular – almost every second car imported this year. Diesel cars accounted for 27.5% of the cars imported this year. Despite the fact that imports of electric cars increased 1.8 times over the year, they accounted for only 13.1% of newly imported cars in total.
Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine intend to cooperate in the restoration of cultural infrastructure.
“We are working on bringing the storage facilities for cultural property in museums in line with technical requirements. We also need the creation of a specialized depository, in particular, the development of project documentation and financial support for technical re-equipment. In addition, another global project is the renovation of the National Restoration Center. This institute is working at the maximum of its capabilities, but in rented unsuitable premises. We have already found premises for re-location. Now it will be necessary to re-equip and improve the qualifications of employees”, – Acting Minister Rostislav Karandeev is quoted by the press service of the Ministry after a meeting with the team of the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation JICA.
Ot also noted the information challenges, said that Ukraine is actively strengthening work with the frontline territories, the most exposed to the influence of enemy propaganda, and emphasized the interest in cooperation in information support of these regions.
“Our team is engaged in the reconstruction of Ukraine. We are providing assistance that aims to provide emergency needs, but we are also interested in cooperation on cultural issues because we understand its potential,” Naomichi Murooka, deputy director general of the Local and Regional Development Group of the Infrastructure Management Department of JICA’s head office, said at the meeting.
Gold prices are actively rising on Friday and have reached a new all-time high due to investor demand for safe-haven assets, MarketWatch reports.
Gold futures quotes on the Comex exchange are up 1% at $2506.2 per troy ounce.
“There is a tailwind for gold,” said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone. – “Expectations of easing from the Federal Reserve have reached such a level that there is already talk of the need for a sharper rate cut in September.
In his opinion, rising tensions in the Middle East make gold the most popular asset for hedging risks. An additional factor that could boost demand for the precious metal is the reduction of duties on gold imports to India.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has downgraded its migration forecasts for Ukrainians: while in April this year it expected an outflow of 200,000 this year and an inflow of 0.4 million next year, it now estimates the outflow this year at 400,000 and the inflow next year at 300,000.
“This assumption has worsened compared to the April Inflation Report due to the significant destruction of the Ukrainian energy system, which is accompanied by prolonged power outages and increases the risks for the heating season,” the regulator said in its July Inflation Report, published on Friday.
The NBU adds that in addition to household difficulties, frequent outages have a negative impact on production processes, which reduces economic activity and demand for labor, further stimulating migration.
In absolute terms, the number of migrants staying abroad is expected to increase to 6.7 million this year and 7 million next year.
The NBU refers to UN data, according to which the number of migrants abroad increased by 240 thousand to 6.6 million in the first half of this year.
In a new report, the National Bank postponed the expected start date for Ukrainians to return home from 2025 to 2026. According to its forecasts, 200,000 Ukrainians may return home in the first quarter of 2026 and the same number by the end of the year, although the April inflation report estimated the net inflow in 2026 at 800,000.
The central bank explains the change in its forecasts both by the deterioration of living conditions in Ukraine, in particular due to power outages, and by the factor of greater adaptation of Ukrainians abroad due to the long duration of their stay.
Thus, the NBU now estimates the number of compatriots-migrants abroad at the end of 2026 at 6.6 million, up from 5.3 million in the April inflation report.
It is noted that the number of internally displaced persons will also remain significant, as, according to surveys, a significant number of them have nowhere to return to due to significant damage to housing infrastructure.
“Currently, the negative risks of an even greater outflow of migrants abroad, and of a smaller and later return prevail. Important factors in this may be legislative decisions by the governments of recipient countries to deepen the integration of Ukrainian migrants in host countries, and their children in the educational systems of host countries, and, accordingly, an increase in the propensity to unite families abroad,” the regulator notes.
The NBU believes that this will have a negative impact on labor supply and consumer demand and will hinder economic growth.
“Significant changes in the structure of the economy and increased demand for skilled labor will lead to further imbalances in the labor market, which will stimulate wage growth that will be higher than productivity growth in certain sectors,” the regulator predicts.
On the other hand, the rapid recovery of housing, infrastructure, and job growth due to the economic recovery may lead to a more active return of migrants, the central bank points out.
Population forecast for Ukraine in 2030-2100
Source: Open4Business.com.ua
