At the end of 2024, for the first time in Uzbekistan, imports of electric and hybrid cars outnumbered traditional gasoline cars. According to the Customs Committee, published by Gazeta.uz, 80,235 passenger cars worth $1.9 billion were imported into the country during the year. At the same time, this is 7% less in quantitative terms (-5,710 units) and 33.1% less in monetary terms (-$632.6 million) compared to 2023.
Imports of cars with gasoline engines decreased by 36.3%, amounting to 32,928 units (compared to 51,699 a year earlier). The cost of imports also decreased significantly – from $1.18 billion to $707.2 million (-40%). The share of gasoline cars in total imports decreased from 64.4% to 44.2%.
Imports of hybrid cars increased by 42%, reaching 17,480 units. Their total value amounted to $339.3 million, which is 17% more than in 2023. The share of hybrids in total imports increased from 15.3% to 23.4%.
Electric vehicles showed even more impressive growth: the number of imported cars increased 1.5 times, from 16,084 to 24,095 units. At the same time, their cost decreased by 48.2% to $224.8 million. The share of electric vehicles in imports increased from 20% to 32.3%.
The average cost of an imported electric car decreased almost threefold, from $26,972 to $9,330 (excluding VAT and customs duties). Hybrid cars also fell in price, but less significantly: the average price dropped by 17.6%, from $23,570 to $19,410. For gasoline cars, the decline was only 6%, from $22,858 to $21,476.
The growing demand for environmentally friendly vehicles is being stimulated by tax and customs incentives. Imports of electric vehicles are exempt from excise duties, customs duties, and road tolls. Taxi drivers using electric and hybrid vehicles are exempt from license fees until 2030. Entrepreneurs are entitled to benefits for the installation of charging stations, which will be introduced in 2023.
In addition, the registration of electric vehicles and hybrids is cheaper than that of gasoline cars. For example, the cost of registering an eco-friendly vehicle is 1.5 BRV, while for gasoline cars it is 6.84 BRV.
Problems with LPG refueling and the high cost of gasoline also contribute to drivers’ switching to electric vehicles. As a result, the share of eco-friendly vehicles in imports reached 55.8% (33,564 units), exceeding the share of gasoline cars (44.2%, 32,928 units).
Ukraine increased its imports of zinc and zinc products by 27.5% to $58.610 million (in December – $3.802 million). Zinc exports increased to $563 thousand against $130 thousand in 2023, in December – $100 thousand.
Pure zinc metal is used to restore precious metals, protect steel from corrosion and for other purposes.
In 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will continue to support Ukrainian farmers in Kherson region by providing them with equipment for loading/unloading grain storage sleeves and coordinating soil testing, said Vitaliy Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.
“In 2025, FAO is focusing on the transformation of the agricultural sector and its urgent needs. Therefore, we agreed to transfer equipment for loading/unloading sleeves for farmers in the Kherson region. He also emphasized the importance of further support for farmers in the frontline areas. In addition, we will coordinate soil analysis after demining together. We need to ensure that such land is safe and can be used for sowing. Food security directly depends on this,” the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food quoted him as saying at a meeting with the acting head of the FAO Office in Ukraine, Mohammed Azuka.
The minister noted that another area of cooperation with FAO would be the State Agrarian Register.
Vitalii Koval and Mohammed Azuka signed a project document entitled “Saving livelihoods by supporting small wine producers through the Food Coalition”. The project aims to create a favorable environment for small wine producers in Odesa and Zakarpattia regions. It is about providing them with technical support, access to finance to recover from the effects of the war and the decline in vineyard productivity, and to increase production.
According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, 30.11 million people crossed the country’s borders in 2024. 2% of those who left the country did not return – about half a million citizens. The number of Ukrainians not returning home has tripled in a year.
2% of Ukrainians who left last year did not return to Ukraine – 443 thousand. This is 3.3 times more than in 2023, when the difference between those who left and those who returned was only 134 thousand. In 2024, the largest number of people got lost in June – 194 thousand.
Only 3 months of last year had positive dynamics, when the number of people who returned to the country was higher than those who left. Among them were April – +58 thousand, July – +23 thousand and August – +89 thousand.
In total, about 3 million citizens have not returned during the 3 years of full-scale war, according to official data from the State Border Guard Service. This is almost as many as in the 11 years preceding the full-scale invasion, i.e. from 2011 to 2021 (3.3 million).
It is worth noting that the data of the Border Guard Service of Ukraine reflects only information on citizens who left at official checkpoints. There is currently no reliable data on Ukrainians who left the TOT or left illegally.
As of August 31, 2024, 4.2 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in the EU countries, according to official EU data. 60% of the total number of our refugees were sheltered together in Germany (1.1 million), Poland (975 thousand) and the Czech Republic (376 thousand).
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/ukrainians-emigration-trend-2024
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in the World Economic Forum (WEF), which is being held in Davos, Switzerland.
“@ZelenskyyUa, President of Ukraine, will join the @wef 2025 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland,” reads a message posted on the WEF’s X social media account on Tuesday.
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group announces the suspension of Pokrovsk Coal Group’s operations due to the changing situation on the frontline, electricity shortages and the deteriorating security situation, the company said in a stock exchange announcement on Tuesday.
“In connection with the suspension of Pokrovske Coal Group’s operations,Metinvest‘s management has developed a contingency plan to ensure the supply of the necessary raw materials (coal and coke) for steel production at the Group’s metallurgical assets (Kametstal and Zaporizhstal JV). The measures include the replacement of Ukrainian raw materials with coking coal from the US-based United Coal Company (part of Metinvest Group), the use of increased coal reserves, and additional supplies of coal and coke from third-party suppliers,” the statement said.
According to the press release, the full impact on the Group of the shutdown of the asset, whose production sites remain in the government-controlled territory of Ukraine, is currently being assessed.
At the same time, it is emphasized that the safety of employees is a priority for Metinvest, so the company facilitated the evacuation of Pokrovske Coal Group employees and their families. All employees who are not involved in the work stoppage process are offered paid retraining and employment at Metinvest’s assets in Zaporizhzhia, Kamianske and Kryvyi Rih. The evacuated employees are provided with financial assistance (lifting allowances, compensation for housing rent), free accommodation in hostels, and assistance for children (enrollment in kindergartens and schools).
“Pokrovskoye Coal Group is the energy heart of the Ukrainian steel industry and used to provide most of the export revenues to the Ukrainian budget. However, amid the daily deterioration of the situation, we cannot risk the safety of thousands of employees, as well as the lives of their families and children. Therefore, the suspension of the plant’s operations is a necessary step to help save lives. We believe in the victory of Ukraine, we believe in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and we are ready to resume the work of Pokrovske Coal Group and Pokrovsk itself after repelling the Russian invasion,” said Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of the Group.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of steel and mining companies. Its businesses are located in Ukraine, in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions, as well as in Europe and the United States.
The major shareholders of Metinvest B.V. are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%), which jointly manage the company. Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
