Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Grossdorf launches production of fertilizers for retail sales

Grossdorf, an agrochemical company specializing in the production of granular and liquid mineral fertilizers, has decided to expand its product range by developing a line of products for retail, according to the industry analytical publication Infoindustriya.

“Entering the retail market opens up new opportunities for growth and expansion of the consumer audience. The company believes in the quality of its products and is ready to meet the needs of retail customers with the same dedication it shows in the agrochemical sector,” said Andriy Khalyavka, CEO of the agrochemical company.

According to him, in 2023, Grossdorf produced about 20 thousand tons of different formulas of NPK fertilizers. In addition, the company became the second largest supplier of UAN in Ukraine in 2023 and produced more than 106 thsd tonnes of this fertilizer. In addition, Grossdorf produces granular potassium chloride, NPK fertilizers and granular (compacted) ammonium sulfate.

“In total, the manufacturer supplied more than 150 thousand tons of fertilizers to the market last year, becoming the second largest fertilizer producer in Ukraine,” InfoIndustry summarized.

Grossdorf LLC was established in 2001. The company is a mineral fertilizer producer, one of the leaders in the production of UAN in Ukraine, an importer, supplier and end consumer of mineral fertilizers. The company has its own plant in Odesa region for the production of liquid fertilizers (UAN, UAN, UAN), a storage facility for liquid fertilizers with a capacity of over 10 thousand tons, facilities for the production of bulk granular fertilizers, and an extensive network of agrochemical warehouses in almost all regions of Ukraine.

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Real GDP in 2021-2025 (forecast)

Real GDP in 2021-2025 (forecast)

Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news

German economy predicted to enter recession – Bundesbank

The German economy may enter recession in the first quarter of 2024, the Bundesbank said in its monthly report. According to the German central bank, the country’s GDP is likely to decline slightly again in January-March.

It contracted by 0.3% in quarterly terms in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to preliminary data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). The final data will be presented on Friday.

As negative factors for the German economy, the Bundesbank notes a significant decline in demand for industrial exports, the likely continued restraint of consumers in spending, increased uncertainty about climate policy, a decrease in order books in industry and construction, as well as strikes, including in rail transport and aviation.

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NBU approves new head of Sense Bank board

The National Bank of Ukraine has approved the head of the board of the nationalized Sense Bank (Kiev), Oleksiy Stupak, selected earlier by the supervisory board of the financial institution for this position following a competition, the bank’s press service said on Monday.

“On February 15, 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine has agreed Oleksiy Stupak as chairman of the board of Sense Bank,” the release said.

As reported, Stupak started his career in 2002 in Pravex Bank, where he was responsible for working with corporate and VIP clients. He then held senior positions at Credit Agricole Bank from 2008.

In June 2019, he joined the Sence Bank team, assuming the position of Corporate Business Director, after which he became the supervisor of Corporate and Investment, SME, which he has been doing until now.

Former Sense Bank CEO Dmitry Kuzmin, who was appointed to this position during the bank’s nationalization at the end of July 2023, resigned by mutual agreement for personal reasons a few weeks after his appointment. Kuzmin’s deputy Yelena Zubchenko, who worked in the Ministry of Finance before the bank’s nationalization, was appointed acting head of the board.

According to the NBU, as of January 1, 2024, Sense Bank ranked 8th among 63 operating banks in Ukraine in terms of assets (UAH 131.2 billion). It was nationalized at the end of July 2023 under a specially adopted law as a systemically important bank with majority shareholders from Russia’s Alfa Group caught up in sanctions. At the same time, the state appointed an entirely new management board and supervisory board.

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Manufacturer of paper products under TM “Snow Panda” increased production by 2.5 times

Blumi LLC (Odesa), a manufacturer of sanitary and hygienic paper products under the Snow Panda brand, produced UAH 41.92 million worth of products in January, up 2.5 times compared to the same month in 2023.

According to statistics provided by UkrPapir Association to Interfax-Ukraine, in physical terms, the production of toilet paper increased by 78.5% to 6.2 million rolls.

As reported, in January, the main producers of sanitary paper products produced 54.56 million rolls of paper, up 27% year-on-year.

Bloomi, which was registered in 2014, produces sanitary products (toilet paper, napkins, towels) based on pulp from imported raw paper. The products are manufactured at the facilities of Omega Brokers PE, one of the leading Ukrainian manufacturers of detergents, disinfectants and sanitary products.

In 2023, the company almost doubled its production volume compared to 2022, to UAH 367.3 million.

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Ukraine increased exports of ferrous scrap by 2.1 times in January

In January this year, Ukrainian enterprises increased exports of ferrous scrap by 2.1 times compared to the same period last year, up to 17,160 thousand tons from 8,280 thousand tons.

According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Friday, exports of scrap metal increased 2.15 times in monetary terms to $5.078 million from $2.362 million.

In January, Ukraine exported scrap metal to Poland (95.35%), Germany (4.61%) and the Netherlands (0.04%).

In the first month of the year, the country imported 129 tons of scrap metal from Slovakia for $45 thousand, while in January 2023 there were no imports of this raw material.

As reported, in 2023, the scrap collecting enterprise of Ukraine increased the export of scrap metal from the country by 3.4 times compared to the previous year – up to 182,485 thousand tons from 53,557 thousand tons. In monetary terms, exports increased 2.74 times to $52.723 million from $19.271 million.

Earlier, Ukrmetallurgprom President Oleksandr Kalenkov stated in an op-ed on the Interfax-Ukraine website that scrap metal is exported through the European Union, which has a preferential export duty of EUR3 per ton, and from there the raw materials are redirected to real customers. He noted that exporting raw materials directly to customers would cost EUR180 in export duties, and the Ukrainian budget has already lost UAH 350 million.

The head of Ukrmetallurgprom called for a temporary ban on the export of ferrous scrap to provide steelmakers with strategically important raw materials in the ongoing war. He also clarified that a ton of scrap metal processed into steel brings in 10 times more to the budget than the EU export duty, which is about $300 per ton.

In 2022, Ukraine reduced exports of ferrous scrap by 11.5 times compared to the previous year, to 53,557 thousand tons, and in monetary terms, it decreased by 12.4 times, to $19.271 million.

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