The metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine in January-March of this year maintained consumption of natural gas at the level of the same period last year, at 460 million cubic meters.
According to information from the Ukrmetalurgprom association, electricity consumption by metal enterprises over this period amounted to about 2.75 billion kWh (94% from January-March 2019).
As reported, the metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine in 2019 reduced consumption of natural gas by 2% compared to 2018, to 1.8 billion cubic meters. Electricity consumption by metal enterprises in 2019 amounted to about 11.2 billion kWh (95% compared to 2018).
PJSC Interpipe Nyzhniodniprovsky Pipe Rolling Plant (Dnipro) has built and commissioned a new warehouse at the export site of the company’s wheel-rolling shop, investing $271,000 in the project.
According to the quarterly report of the company, at the beginning of 2020, Interpipe plant provided itself with an additional warehouse for finished products, and a collection point was established for packing additional volumes of wheels in pallets.
“The new storage was organized to reduce the cost of packaging for sending railway wheels for export,” it said.
In addition, the company began using wooden pallets instead of metal cassettes for products that are shipped to Europe by truck, transported by road.
The report also states that in March steel indices in the global markets declined due to a sharp drop in demand. At the same time, the cost of scrap metal HMS 80/20 CFR Turkey fell by $20.7/tonne, or 7.6% compared to the previous month, the cost of square billets FOB Black Sea by $18.1/tonne or 4.7%.
“Most of the traditional trade outlets for steel billets of CIS production were inactive due to blocking and restrictive measures introduced by the governments during the pandemic. The demand was seen mainly in China,” the report said.
The Ukrainian market has also suffered due to protective measures in the fight against coronavirus, in particular, the hryvnia has depreciated by 14.3% since the beginning of March, construction volumes were down. The output of railway wagons also decreased.
EXPORT, INTERPIPE, PLANT, RAILWAY PRODUCTS, SHIPMENT, WAREHOUSE
The number of unemployed in Ukraine in the first two weeks of quarantine increased by 500,000-700,000 people, over the next two weeks, in April, by another 500,000-600,000 people, to 2.5-2.8 million people, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) has said.
“According to the estimates of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the unemployment rate today is 13.7-15.4%. This is the highest rate in the last 15 years,” the press service said citing president of the chamber Hennadiy Chizhikov.
This figure does not take into account the number of labor migrants who returned to Ukraine after the start of pandemic, he added.
About 4 million people were employed in the “stopped” industries, he said.
“A survey of companies conducted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry shows that 26% of them plan to reduce staff, another 30% have not made a final decision,” the expert said.
According to the agency, the total amount of support for businesses through tax exemption in March and April stood at UAH 9.3 billion, of which UAH 900 million was support for small businesses, which suffered the largest losses during quarantine.
“The estimated losses of only two sectors – beauty salons and passenger transportation – amount to about UAH 1.5 billion over a month and a half of quarantine. Losses of the entire businesses “in quarantine” are many times more,” he added.
As reported, according to the State Employment Service, on April 13 the number of registered unemployed amounted to 387,500 people, over the week this figure increased by 36,200 people.
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 17/04/20
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of April 17
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
The State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) plans to complete the repair of the M-03 Kyiv-Kharkov highway within Poltava region in 2020.
Ukravtodor said on Telegram the total length of the road within Poltava region is 285 km. At the same time, 265 km of roads are on the balance of the service in the region. Another 4 km of the road that passes through Poltava is on the balance of the city council, due to a question about the repair of which the project of the complete update of the M-03 road was frozen for some time.
According to the agency, in order for the situation to budge, a budget program was formed in the national budget of Ukraine on the initiative of the government and Ukravtodor to repair the M-03 road section within Poltava. It is to be repaired this year.
“The section of the Kyiv-Kharkiv route that passes through Poltava has remained a stumbling block for many years. This year, thanks to the coordinated cooperation of all branches of government, we managed to attract financing for the repair of the problem area,” the press service said citing head of Ukravtodor Oleksandr Kubrakov.
