Quotes of interbank currency market of Ukraine (uah for 1 pln, in 01.07.2024-30.07.2024)
Open4Business.com.ua
In January-September this year, Ukraine increased imports of aluminum ores and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 99.8% compared to the same period last year, up to 19.528 thousand tons. According to statistics released by the State Customs Service on Tuesday, bauxite imports in monetary terms increased 2.2 times to $2.435 million during the period.
The imports came mainly from Turkey (77.38% of supplies in monetary terms), China (19.42%) and Spain (3.20%).
Ukraine did not re-export bauxite in the same period of this year as in January-September 2013.
As reported, in 2022, Ukraine reduced imports of aluminum ore and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 81.5% compared to the previous year – to 945.396 thousand tons. Imports of bauxite in monetary terms decreased by 79.6% to $48.166 million. Imports were mainly from Guinea (58.90% of supplies in monetary terms), Brazil (27.19%) and Ghana (7.48%). In 2023, Ukraine imported 19,830 thousand tons of bauxite worth $2.360 million.
Bauxite is an aluminum ore used as a raw material to produce alumina, which is used to make aluminum. They are also used as fluxes in ferrous metallurgy.
Mykolaiv Alumina Plant (MAP) imports bauxite to Ukraine.
Ukrainian companies increased imports of aluminum and aluminum products by 21.1% to $333.056 million in January-September this year ($40.325 million in September).
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, exports of aluminum and aluminum products in the first nine months of 2024 increased by 30.3% year-on-year to $93.318 million ($10.352 million in September).
In 2023, exports of aluminium and aluminium products increased by 0.7% compared to 2022 to $97.616 million.
Aluminum is widely used as a structural material. The main advantages of aluminum are its lightness, stamping resistance, corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, and non-toxicity of its compounds. In particular, these properties have made aluminum extremely popular in the production of cookware, aluminum foil in the food industry, and packaging. The first three properties have made aluminum the main raw material in the aviation and aerospace industries (recently it has been replaced by composite materials, primarily carbon fiber). After the construction and production of packaging, such as aluminum cans and foil, the energy sector is the largest consumer of the metal.
In January-September this year, Ukrainian enterprises increased imports of nickel and its products by 65.2% compared to the same period in 2023 to $19.219 million (in September – $619 thousand).
In the first nine months of 2024, exports of nickel and nickel products amounted to $508 thousand (in September, they were absent), while in January-September 2023 they amounted to $256 thousand. In 2023, Ukraine reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 74.2% compared to 2022, to $15.391 million.
Nickel is used to produce stainless steel and for nickel plating. Nickel is also used in the production of batteries, powder metallurgy, and chemicals.
Ukrainian companies increased imports of copper and copper products by 16% in value terms in January-September this year, up to $104.483 million, compared to the same period last year.
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Tuesday, exports of copper and copper products increased by 19.1% to $65.514 million over the period under review.
In September, the country imported copper worth $11.659 million and exported it for $7.290 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.
In January-June 2024, VUSO Insurance Company (Kyiv) collected UAH 1.395 billion in gross premiums, which is 17.38% more than in the same period in 2023, RA Standard Rating reported in information on the confirmation of the company’s financial strength rating at uaAA on the national scale. According to the rating agency’s website, the insurer’s revenues from individuals increased by 7.06% to UAH 884.291 million, and from reinsurers – by 43.05% to UAH 18.401 million. Thus, the share of individuals in the insurer’s gross written premiums in the first half of 2024 amounted to 63.39%, and the share of reinsurers amounted to 1.32%.
Insurance payments sent to reinsurers for the specified reporting period compared to January-June last year increased by 84.14% to UAH 171.987 million, the reinsurer participation ratio increased by 4.47 percentage points (p.p.) to 12.33%.
The company’s net written premiums for the first half of the year increased by 11.68% to UAH 1.223 billion, and earned premiums – by 21.31% to UAH 1.251 billion.
In January-June 2024, VUSO paid UAH 722.269 million to its clients, which is 64.64% higher than the volume of insurance payments and reimbursements for the same period in 2023. The claims ratio increased by 14.87 p.p. to 51.78%.
At the same time, the company’s financial results have improved significantly: profit from operating activities in the first half of 2024 amounted to UAH 101.017 million, and net profit increased 21.97 times to UAH 34.709 million compared to the same period a year earlier.
As of July 1, 2024, the insurer’s assets decreased by 0.59% to UAH 1.515 billion, while equity showed an increase of 5.62% to UAH 651.966 million. At the same time, the company’s liabilities decreased by 4.81% to UAH 863.513 million, while cash and cash equivalents increased by 0.04% to UAH 557.732 million.
RA notes that as of the reporting date, the company formed a portfolio of investments in domestic government bonds in the amount of UAH 231.140 million, which in total covered 91.36% of the company’s liabilities. The balance of funds in the centralized insurance reserve funds (MTIBU) of the insurer amounted to UAH 311.823 million.
VUSO Insurance Company was founded in 2001. The company holds 50 licenses: 34 – for voluntary and 16 – for compulsory types of insurance, and is represented in all regions of Ukraine. VUSO is a member of the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (MTIBU) and the Ukrainian Insurance Federation (UIF), as well as a participant in the Direct Claims Settlement Agreement and a member of the Nuclear Insurance Pool.
