Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Scrap exports from Ukraine increased by 59% in January-August

In January-August 2025, Ukrainian enterprises increased exports of ferrous metal scrap by 59.3% compared to the same period last year, from 177,654 thousand tons to 283,055 thousand tons.

According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), 34,713 thousand tons were exported in August, 44,842 thousand tons in July, a record 47,691 thousand tons in June, 28.6 thousand tons in May, 46,321 thousand tons in April, 39,908 thousand tons in March, 25,284 thousand tons in February, and 15,696 thousand tons in January.

In monetary terms, scrap exports in January-August increased by 49.7% to $85.400 million from $57.041 million.

During this period, scrap exports were formally carried out mainly to Poland (82.1% of shipments in monetary terms), Greece (6.48%), and Italy (4.37%).

In the first eight months of this year, Ukraine imported 34 tons of scrap worth $13,000 from Poland (53.85%), the Seychelles (30.77%), and the British Virgin Islands (7.69%).

As reported, due to the sharp increase in exports of strategic raw materials from Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture initiated the introduction of a licensing and quota regime for scrap exports with a zero quota. A public discussion of the draft resolution is currently underway. Its implementation is expected to contribute to the smooth operation of Ukraine’s metallurgical and foundry industries, as well as to stabilize the situation with regard to meeting the demand for scrap on the domestic market of Ukraine.

In 2024, Ukraine’s scrap collection companies increased their exports of ferrous metal scrap by 60.7% compared to 2023, from 182,465 thousand tons to 293,190 thousand tons. In monetary terms, scrap exports for the year increased by 73.2% to $91.311 million from $52.723 million.

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EBRD to provide EUR200 mln guarantee for business lending through Raiffeisen Bank

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a risk-sharing guarantee without upfront financing to Raiffeisen Bank to expand financing and provide new loans to Ukrainian businesses in the amount of EUR200 million. The relevant agreement was signed in London on September 9.

“The EBRD instrument will cover up to 50% of Raiffeisen Bank’s credit risk under new financing agreements for businesses operating in Ukraine. Under this mechanism, the bank will provide sub-loans to companies operating in critical sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, industrial production, pharmaceuticals, transport, and logistics,” the Ukrainian bank said in a press release on Wednesday.

According to the press release, this is already the fourth such risk-sharing agreement concluded by the EBRD with Raiffeisen Bank.

It is noted that 20% of the sub-loans covered by the EBRD guarantee will be provided to MSMEs for long-term investments in EU-compliant technologies and green technologies, strengthening the competitiveness of such enterprises in domestic and foreign markets.

Sub-borrowers who meet the conditions will also be able to receive EU-funded technical support and investment incentives, such as grants to complete their investment projects, under the EU4Business initiative. Larger incentives will be provided to businesses and households most affected by the war (e.g., those whose assets have been destroyed, damaged, or relocated), as well as to sub-borrowers that promote the reintegration of war veterans, people with special needs, internally displaced persons, and/or enterprises located in areas most severely affected by the war.

The EBRD guarantee will be supported by partial coverage of first-loss risk received from France and the EU under the Ukraine Investment Framework.

Since the start of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, the EBRD has enabled more than EUR 3 billion in financing to Ukrainian borrowers through 37 similar instruments in partnership with 12 financial institutions.

Raiffeisen Bank is the largest privately owned bank in Ukraine and the fourth largest overall, with total assets of UAH 252.23 billion (6.5% of the system’s total assets) as of mid-year.

Raiffeisen Bank was founded in 1992. According to the financial institution, 68.21% of its shares are owned by Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI), 30% by the EBRD, and the remaining 1.79% by minority shareholders.

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Economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina – overview from Relocation

Relocation project has analyzed economic indicators of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For convenience, the data are presented in blocks by topics and areas.

1. GDP growth and economic development rates

  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts real GDP growth of 2.8% in 2025.
  • The World Bank expects 2.7 % growth in 2025 and a further acceleration to 3.1 % in 2026.
  • Analysts at wiiw also forecast 2.4% growth for 2025, based on a recovery in domestic consumption and demand from the EU.
  • The Western Balkan regions as a whole are projected to grow ≈3.2 %, but growth could be below average for individual countries, including Bosnia.

2. Nominal GDP and per capita income

  • According to Wikipedia, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s nominal GDP at the end of 2025 is expected to be ≈ $29.86 billion and per capita income is expected to be about $8,670.

3- Inflation and price dynamics

  • According to the IMF, average inflation is ≈ 3.8% in 2025 (rising due to higher food prices) with a subsequent decline to 2% in the medium term.
  • Trading Economics records a higher level: 4.8% in July 2025, the highest since June 2023.
  • WIIW estimates average annual inflation at 2.5 %, although it further notes that it exceeded 3 % in the first months of 2025.

4. Public debt and fiscal sustainability

  • Public debt rises from 29 % to 29.9 % of GDP between 2024 and 2025, according to the IMF.
  • According to Wikipedia, the public debt level is only 16.9 % of GDP at the end of 2024 – perhaps only external debt is taken into account.

5. Currency stability and reserves

  • The country’s currency is the convertible mark (BAM), pegged to the euro under a currency board (currency board), which ensures exchange rate stability.
  • Foreign exchange reserves amounted to about €9 billion, equivalent to ~6.9 months of imports, as estimated by the IMF.

6. Unemployment and labor market

  • The unemployment rate by the end of 2024 was 11.7%.
  • Wikipedia gives the same value: 11.7% (December 2024) and 27.3% youth.

7. Population and demography

  • According to Wikipedia, the population as of April 7, 2025 is ≈ 3.14 million.
  • IMF indicates a value of 3.445 million, without specifying the date.
  • Overall, the population shows a moderate decline (partly due to migration and natural decline), although no significant demographic data for 2025 is provided.

8. Other factors and risks

  • Strong minimum wage growth (increase of over 60%) in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) supports purchasing power but may cause inflationary pressures.
  • Services sector and domestic consumption are the main drivers of growth (about 65% of GDP).
  • Annual current account deficit is expected at 4-4.1% of GDP, worsened by lower exports and higher imports.
  • International Monetary Fund forecast: general fiscal sustainability with moderate growth of debt and reserves.
  • There are recommendations for structural reforms (export-oriented model, investment, labor market reforms).

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a state in Southeastern Europe, located on the Balkan Peninsula. The capital is Sarajevo. The population is estimated at about 3.2 million (2025).

The country has a complex state structure: it consists of two autonomous entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, as well as the Brcko District. The country is a candidate for accession to the European Union (since 2016).

http://relocation.com.ua/bosnia-and-herzegovinas-economy-an-overview-from-relocation/

 

New canine center building has been opened in Bucha

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced the opening of a new building for the canine center of the National Police Headquarters in the city of Bucha, Kyiv region.

“This morning, we opened a new building for the National Police Dog Training Center in Bucha together with Igor Klymenko and Howard Buffett, who financed its construction. The previous premises were in Irpin, but at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian hail fell on it,” Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram.

According to her, this center is one of the best in Europe: it has 80 kennels, a covered training area, an obstacle course, and a modern veterinary center.

“The center’s space is adapted for people with disabilities so that veterans can come here for canine therapy. Currently, 54 dogs serve at this canine center. In total, about 1,000 dogs serve in the National Police, and there have been losses in the K9 ranks during the invasion,” the prime minister said.

Svyrydenko noted that the project to restore the canine center is part of a systematic demining policy in Ukraine, which the Howard Buffett Foundation is consistently helping us to implement.

“Ukraine is the most contaminated country in the world with explosive ordnance, and we need a lot of resources to move quickly and bring life back to communities. The canine service is one of the elements of the infrastructure that contributes to rapid demining and restoration of security. In addition to searching for explosives, service dogs help rescuers find people under rubble after enemy shelling,” she wrote, thanking Buffett.

 

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Ferroalloy exports from Ukraine increased by 40% in January–August

In January–August of this year, Ukraine increased its ferroalloy exports in physical terms by 39.7% compared to the same period last year, from 52,806 thousand tons to 73,774 thousand tons.

According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), in monetary terms, ferroalloy exports increased by 29.5% to $82.611 million.

The main exports were to Poland (28.92% of shipments in monetary terms), Algeria (23.13%), and Turkey (19.31%).

In addition, in the first eight months of 2025, Ukraine imported 27,270 thousand tons of this product, a decrease of 59.7% compared to the same period in 2024. In monetary terms, imports fell by 54.1% to $51.843 million. Imports were mainly from Norway (22.96%), Kazakhstan (11.81%), and France (10.72%).

As reported, the Pokrovsky Mining and Processing Plant (PGZK, formerly Ordzhonikidze Mining and Processing Plant) and the Marganetsky Mining and Processing Plant (MGZK, both in Dnipropetrovsk region), which are part of the Privat Group, stopped mining and processing raw manganese ore in late October-early November 2023, while NZF and ZZF stopped smelting ferroalloys. In the summer of 2024, ferroalloy plants resumed production at a minimum level.

PGZK and MGZK did not produce any products in 2024, while in 2023, PGZK produced 160.31 thousand tons of manganese concentrate, and MGZK was idle.

In 2024, Ukraine reduced its exports of ferroalloys in physical terms by 4.45 times compared to 2023, to 77,316 thousand tons from 344,173 thousand tons. in monetary terms, exports fell 3.4 times – to $88.631 million from $297.595 million. At the same time, the main exports were to Poland (27.40% of supplies in monetary terms), Turkey (21.53%), and Italy (19.82%).

In addition, last year Ukraine imported 82,259 thousand tons of this product compared to 14,203 thousand tons in 2023 (a 5.8-fold increase). In monetary terms, imports increased 3.3 times, from $42.927 million to $140.752 million. Imports were mainly from Poland (32.71%), Norway (19.55%), and Kazakhstan (13.90%).

The business of ZZF, NZF, Stakhanov ZF (located at NKT), Pokrovsky and Marganetsky GZK was organized by PrivatBank prior to the nationalization of the financial institution. The Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant is controlled by the EastOne group, created in the fall of 2007 as a result of the restructuring of the Interpipe group, as well as the Privat group.

 

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Sukha Balka installed new mine cage at Yuvileina mine

The Sukha Balka mine (Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region), part of Alexander Yaroslavsky’s DCH group, has installed a new mine cage at the Yuvileina mine, manufactured by specialists from PJSC Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant (DMZ).

According to the DCH Steel corporate newspaper, the repair work lasted from August 4 to August 31. Much of this time was spent on preparation: the surface of the cage was carefully treated with a protective coating and painted to extend its service life in aggressive underground conditions. According to the manufacturer’s specifications, the coating should reliably protect the surface for about 10 years. Only after this stage did the miners begin the actual replacement of the equipment.

“We installed the base of the cage in the mine shaft at the zero mark, and then installed the second and third floors in turn, connecting the frame. After that, we attached the other trailer equipment. After the cage was installed, electricians connected the electrical equipment, and specialists from the energy laboratory checked its quality and gave permission for use,” explained Maxim Kopeyka, chief mechanic of the Yubileinaya mine, as quoted by the publication.

As reported, last year, the DMZ’s specialized metallurgical equipment repair shop manufactured lifting equipment for the Yuvileina mine. The mine cage has three floors, weighs 15 tons, and can carry 126 miners at a time.

It is also reported that in September-October, railway workers will repair three turnouts at the Zakhidna station at DMZ. Scheduled repairs of the turnouts will ensure the safety of railway transport when transporting billets for rolling shop No. 2 and finished rolled metal products to consumers.

DMZ specializes in the production of steel, cast iron, rolled products, and products made from them, such as channels and angles, special profiles for mechanical engineering and the mining industry. On March 1, 2018, the DCH Group signed an agreement to purchase the Dnipro Metallurgical Plant.

The Sukha Balka mine is one of the leading enterprises in the mining industry in Ukraine. It extracts iron ore using underground methods. The mine includes the Yuvileina and Frunze mines. In May 2017, the DCH Group acquired the mine from the Evraz Group.

 

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