Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

NBU last week significantly reduced sale of currency on interbank market

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) last week, almost in the absence of currency purchases, reduced its sale on the interbank market by $213.5 million, or 24.4% – to $661.1 million. According to the National Bank’s data on its website, the cash market recorded its first surplus of $2.8 million over the weekend and Monday, but in the following days dollar purchases again exceeded sales by $20-33 million daily.

The official hryvnia exchange rate fell slightly over the week – from 41.6409 UAH/$1 to 41.7341 UAH/$1, while due to the weakening of the dollar on the international market, the euro rose in price more strongly – from 48.7823 UAH/EUR1 to 49.1210 UAH/EUR1, and on July 2 reached a new record – 49.4093 UAH/EUR1.

In the cash market, the dollar appreciated by only 2 copecks on the results of the week. – to 41.6/41.7 UAH/$1, while the euro appreciated by up to 10 copecks. – 49.35/49.53 UAH/EUR1.

“Short-term (1-3 weeks) is likely to fluctuate within the range of 41.30-42.00 UAH/$1 without going beyond 42.10 UAH/$ in the absence of external shocks or short-term situational surges”, – predict experts of a major participant of the cash currency exchange market “KYT Group”.

In their opinion, medium-term (2-4 months) return to the levels of UAH 42.00-42.50/$1 is possible in case of strengthening of import demand, increase of budget payments or realization of risks with financing or change of expectations and moods of the population and market operators.

As for the euro, KYT Group believes that in the short term, taking into account external factors and stable demand, the euro exchange rate may head towards the corridor of UAH 49.00-49.50/EUR1 with a possible breakthrough to UAH 50.00/EUR1, if it receives additional external drivers.

Medium-term, the European currency is likely to go above UAH 50.00/EUR1, especially if the euro remains at a global high and the current international drivers of its growth are maintained.

“Keep your focus on the euro. If your business model provides for expenses or revenues in euro, it is worthwhile to revise the structure of currency risk already now, to put a margin of safety in contracts or to test possible scenarios of the exchange rate breakout above UAH 50/EUR1”, – the company believes.

Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/projects/1083979.html

 

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Volume of investments in primary housing in Ukraine in next 2-3 years will grow up to 15% annually

Volumes of investments in primary housing in the next 2-3 years will grow up to 15% annually, such a forecast was voiced by CMO Alliance Novobud Irina Mikhaleva in comments to the agency “Interfax-Ukraine”.

“The market has adapted to the realities of wartime, and key investors – in particular Ukrainians, and for business class – often foreigners, are increasingly choosing new buildings as a tool for preservation and multiplication of capital. In the next 2-3 years we expect that the volume of investment in primary housing will grow by 10-15% annually, the demand for income property and business class real estate will increase, and the main role will be played by trust in the brand of the developer and security of location”, – said Mikhaleva.

She noted the competition from the secondary market, but does not consider it determinant. After all, the primary market competes not only with more comfortable layouts and well thought-out infrastructure, but also with systematically better quality solutions, first of all, safe and inclusive.

“Modern layouts with wider doorways, spacious bathrooms, principles of inclusiveness, new and reliable engineering communication systems, safe and reliable monolithic-frame construction technology, energy efficiency, alternative ways of energy supply,” Mikhailova lists the advantages of primary housing.

According to experts of Alliance Novobud, soon there will be a shortage of ready housing in the segment of the capital’s business and comfort classes. The reasons are different: in the business class part of the projects have not yet been restored or are realized with significant delays, in comfort – the potential demand is higher than the volume of launch of new projects.

“To ensure maximum investor protection, we are implementing several key approaches in Alliance Novobud, in particular, transparency of the legal model, financial stability of the company, construction phasing and internal control. At the same time, we continue to adapt to the needs of the market, offering investors installments more affordable than bank mortgages,” she says.

According to the data of the portal of new buildings LUN, Alliance Novobud was founded in 2006, since 2010 the company has commissioned 37 houses and parking lots. During the full-scale invasion commissioned 12 houses for more than 1.3 thousand apartments in Brovary and in Kiev. In the process of realization 9 houses of Krona Park II residential complex in Brovary and a premium class project in the capital Montreal House.

 

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Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan creating green energy corridor

On July 4, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which was held in Khankendi under the chairmanship of the President of Azerbaijan.

The summit was attended by heads of state and government of SCO member states, including Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of Afghanistan, international organizations, and business circles of the region.

The participants discussed prospects for deepening multilateral cooperation and exchanged views on key issues on the international and regional agenda.

At the beginning of his speech, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined the current challenges to security and sustainable development, reaffirmed his commitment to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, and stressed the importance of a just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Among the new initiatives put forward are:

• Adoption of the concept of “Strategic Goals of Economic Partnership – 2035,” which focuses on digitalization, innovation, and artificial intelligence.

• Holding a meeting of trade ministers on ECO issues in Tashkent to discuss strategic issues and prepare an agreement on trade facilitation.

• Creation of a system of “green corridors” for the rapid exchange of information and unhindered trade in agricultural products.

• Development of a long-term Ecoinvest program to stimulate private and international investment in sustainable projects in the region.

• Forming alternative transport corridors, in particular, developing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with further connection to the Trans-Afghan Corridor.

• Accelerating the creation of a Digital Transport and Customs Office to coordinate the digitalization of logistics.

• Holding an ECO national airline forum in Samarkand to stimulate air transport, tourism, and marketing cooperation in the aviation sector.

• Developing a roadmap for expanding tourism services aimed at doubling tourist flows within the ECO.

• Creation of a cross-border “green program” for the restoration of ecosystems in desert areas with an emphasis on afforestation and the development of recreation.

• Preparation of proposals for reforming the EAEU to enhance its effectiveness and authority in the international arena.

In conclusion, the President of Uzbekistan expressed his confidence that the summit would give new impetus to economic cooperation and open a stage of meaningful transformation of regional partnership.

Full text of the speech by the President of Uzbekistan

 

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In first half of 2025, customs authorities of Ukraine detected almost 5 thousand violations of customs rules worth UAH 6 billion

In 1,780 cases of violation of customs rules, the objects of offenses worth almost UAH 370 million were temporarily seized. In particular:

– industrial goods worth UAH 213 million
– vehicles worth over UAH 122 million
– foodstuffs worth over UAH 33 million;
– currency worth UAH 2.2 million.
In 899 cases of customs rules violations, including those initiated in previous periods, customs applied administrative penalties in the form of fines amounting to UAH 31 million, and collected UAH 31 million to the state budget, taking into account cases considered in the previous period. The customs authorities submitted 2,689 cases of customs rules violations worth over UAH 5.5 billion to the courts. As a result of court proceedings, including those initiated in the previous periods, penalties (confiscation of goods and fines) amounted to UAH 2.5 billion.

 

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Nestlé has opened new $50 mln vermicelli factory in Volyn

Swiss company Nestlé has launched the first production line at its new vermicelli factory in Smolyhiv (Torchynska settlement community, Lutsk district, Volyn region), which is the result of a CHF40 million ($50 million at the current exchange rate) investment announced 30 months ago, according to a press release issued by the company on Monday. according to a company press release on Monday.

“The production capacity of the first line will enable the company to produce 5,000 tons of vermicelli by the end of 2025, with a planned increase in production with the opening of additional lines in the next two years,” the release said.

Nestlé notes that the Smolyhiv factory is the fourth factory opened in the company’s 30 years of operation in Ukraine.

“With the opening of the new factory, the company has created a European hub for food production in Ukraine in Volyn, combining the new factory in Smolyhiv with the one already operating in neighboring Torchyn,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the company is expanding its vermicelli production to meet growing demand in both Europe and Ukraine under the Maggi and Mivina brands. The new factory is an export-oriented enterprise: 75% of its products will be supplied to EU markets under the Maggi brand, which will increase foreign currency inflows to Ukraine. At the same time, 75% of the raw materials for production come from local suppliers in Ukraine, with wheat and sunflower oil being the key ingredients.

“The factory’s advantageous geographical location in western Ukraine creates ideal conditions for Nestlé to produce in Ukraine for both the local market and for export,” said Alessandro Zanelli, CEO of Nestlé in Ukraine and Southeast Europe, in a press release.

He added that the factory is a modern, digital, and fully automated production facility.

Ivan Rudnytskyi, head of the Volyn Regional State Administration, recalled that a factory producing ketchups and sauces under the Torchyn brand and a Nestlé distribution center are already operating in the region, and the launch of the new factory has created more than 300 new jobs, and that this number will increase in the near future to more than 1,500 people in the newly created production hub in Volyn.

Nestlé is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, operating in 187 countries. It offers a wide range of products and services for families and pets.

It has over 2,000 brands. Nestlé began operations in Ukraine in 1994 with the opening of a representative office, acquired a controlling stake in ZAT Lvivska Kondyterska Fabryka Svitloch in 1998, and has owned 100% of the company since 2018.

In May 2003, Nestlé Ukraine LLC was established in Kyiv, and at the end of that year, Nestlé became the owner of 100% of the shares of Volynholding.

In 2010, Nestlé SA acquired Technocom LLC in Kharkiv, a manufacturer of instant products under the Mivina brand. In 2012, Nestlé Business Service (NBS Europe) was established in Lviv, which is one of seven Nestlé service centers in the world and provides support services to Nestlé divisions in more than 40 countries.

Nestlé’s business in Ukraine includes the following areas: coffee and beverages, confectionery, culinary products (cold sauces, seasonings, soups, instant products), baby and special nutrition, ready-to-eat breakfasts, and pet food.

At the end of last year, Dzanelli reported that Nestlé in Ukraine had increased production by 7-8% in 2024 and expects 10% growth in 2025.

 

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CMO of Alliance Novobud Iryna Mikhalova spoke at Realty Summit 2025 in Odesa

Realty Summit 2025, one of the key platforms for discussing the state and prospects of the Ukrainian real estate market, brought together leading industry players in Odesa this year. At the invitation of DIM.RIA, CMO of Alliance Novobud, Iryna Mikhaleva, joined a discussion panel on current market challenges and effective formats of cooperation between developers and realtors.

During the blitz, the speakers shared their views on the current state of the primary real estate market, demand for new buildings in 2024-2025, key trends and challenges for developers. The participants also discussed financial instruments for buyers, including the implementation of the eOselya program, mortgage lending terms and accreditation of developers in banks.

A separate discussion block was devoted to cooperation between developers and realtors, an important component of modern sales. Iryna Mikhalova shared Alliance Novobud’s experience in building partnerships with agencies and individual market professionals, described cooperation models that have already proven their effectiveness, and outlined the benefits for both parties.

“Today’s real estate market requires flexible solutions and open dialog. Events such as Realty Summit bring together experts who are ready to share practical cases and look for answers to the challenges we face every day,” said Iryna Mikhaleva.

 

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