Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Exports of metal products from Ukraine fell by 25.8%, imports rose by 13.5%

In January-February of this year, Ukrainian metallurgical companies reduced their revenues from ferrous metal exports by 1% compared to the same period last year, from $419.20 million to $415.10 million.

According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Tuesday, ferrous metals accounted for 6.42% of total export revenues during this period, compared to 6.67% in January-February 2025.

In February 2026, export revenues amounted to $210.24 million, compared to $205.08 million in the previous month.

At the same time, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 6.6% in January-February 2026, to $243.31 million, including $120.59 million worth of products imported in February.

In addition, in January-February 2026, Ukraine reduced exports of metal products by 25.8% to $107.37 million, with $58.79 million exported in February.

Imports of metal products during this period increased by 13.5% to $156.61 million, of which $79.88 million was imported in February.

As reported, Ukrainian metal companies increased their revenues from ferrous metal exports by 7.85% in 2025 compared to the previous year, to $3 billion 339.49 million. Ferrous metals accounted for 8.25% of total export revenues for the year, compared to 7.42% in 2024. At the same time, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 12.9% in 2025, to $1 billion 669.54 million. In addition, last year Ukraine reduced exports of metal products by 3%, to $916.15 million. Imports of metal products increased by 24.4% over the year, to $1 billion 290.61 million.

In 2024, metal companies increased their revenues from ferrous metal exports by 16.9% compared to the previous year, to $3 billion 96.34 million. At the same time, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 13.1%, to $1 billion 478.81 million.

In 2023, Ukraine reduced its revenues from ferrous metal exports by 41.6% compared to 2022, to $2 billion 647.72 million, with ferrous metals accounting for 7.3% of total revenues from goods exports, while in 2022 the share was 10.3%. At the same time, Ukraine increased imports of similar products by 37% in 2023, to $1 billion 307.05 million. In addition, in the same year, Ukraine reduced exports of metal products by 16.6% compared to the previous year, to $877.92 million. At the same time, imports of metal products increased by 40.3%, to $902.57 million.

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Export changes in % to previous period in 2024-2025

Export changes in % to previous period in 2024-2025

Open4Business.com.ua

State Customs Service: imports of goods to Ukraine grew by 31% in two months, reaching $14.8 bln

Imports of goods to Ukraine in January-February 2026 amounted to $14.8 billion in monetary terms, while in the same period last year they amounted to $11.3 billion, which is 31% less, according to data from the press service of the State Customs Service of Ukraine (SCS).

According to a publication on the agency’s Telegram channel, in the first two months of 2026, goods worth $6.5 billion were exported from Ukraine, which is almost unchanged compared to the same period in 2025 ($6.3 billion).

“At the same time, taxable imports amounted to $5.2 billion, which is 78% of the total volume of imported goods. The tax burden per 1 kg of taxable imports in January-February 2026 was $0.54/kg,” the report says.

The largest imports to Ukraine came from China ($4 billion), Poland ($1.4 billion), and Turkey ($1.1 billion).

The largest exports from Ukraine went to Poland ($713 million), Turkey ($563 million), and Italy ($428 million).

Of the total volume of goods imported in January-February 2026, 71% of the categories were machinery, equipment, and transport – $6 billion (with customs clearance, 32.9 billion UAH, or 26% of customs payments, was paid to the budget), fuel and energy products – $2.6 billion (49.7 billion hryvnia, or 39% of customs payments, paid to the budget), chemical industry products – $2 million (15.9 billion hryvnia, or 12% of revenues, paid).

The top three most exported goods from Ukraine were food products – $4 billion, metals and metal products – $589 million, and machinery, equipment, and transport – $532 million.

“In January-February 2026, during customs clearance of exports of goods subject to export duties, UAH 318.5 million was paid to the budget,” the State Customs Service summarized.

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Imports of goods to Ukraine grew by 31% in two months, reaching $14.8 bln

Imports of goods to Ukraine in January-February 2026 increased by 31% in monetary terms compared to the same period last year, reaching $14.8 billion from $11.3 billion, while exports remained virtually unchanged at $6.5 billion compared to $6.3 billion a year ago, according to data published by the press service of the State Customs Service of Ukraine (SCS) on its Telegram channel.

“At the same time, taxable imports amounted to $5.2 billion, which is 78% of the total volume of imported goods. The tax burden per 1 kg of taxable imports in January-February 2026 was $0.54/kg,” the report says.

The largest imports to Ukraine came from China ($4 billion), Poland ($1.4 billion), and Turkey ($1.1 billion).

The largest exports from Ukraine went to Poland ($713 million), Turkey ($563 million), and Italy ($428 million).

Of the total volume of goods imported in January-February 2026, 71% of the categories were machinery, equipment, and transport – $6 billion (32.9 billion UAH, or 26% of customs payments, was paid to the budget during customs clearance), fuel and energy products – $2.6 billion (49.7 billion hryvnia paid to the budget, or 39% of customs payments), chemical industry products – $2 million (15.9 billion hryvnia paid, or 12% of revenues).

The top three most exported goods from Ukraine were food products – $4 billion, metals and metal products – $589 million, and machinery, equipment, and transport – $532 million.

“In January-February 2026, during customs clearance of exports of goods subject to export duties, UAH 318.5 million was paid to the budget,” the SFS summarized.

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Language habits of productive people: daily routines in English with exercises

Habit checklist + daily practical exercises — clear, concise, and applicable to real life. An article for those who want to integrate English into their daily routine rather than “learn words.” Suitable for busy adults, as all exercises take 3–15 minutes.

Why habits are important

Language proficiency grows not from isolated intensive efforts, but from regular, small efforts. Productive people turn learning into a routine: a 5-minute morning practice, a quick review at lunchtime, and evening shadowing. This leads to steady progress and minimizes “memory lapses.” Below is a checklist of key habits plus practical exercises for each day. Remember: a little every day is better than a lot once a month.

Habit checklist (short)

  1. Morning speaking (5–10 min)
  2. Vocabulary flashcards (3–7 min)
  3. Shadowing while commuting or at the gym (5–15 min)
  4. One target dialogue/monologue (10–15 min)
  5. Reading one short text + writing down 3 useful phrases (10 min)
  6. Watching a short video with notes (10–15 min)
  7. Using English in real life (1 action)
  8. Evening self-check recording (2–5 min)
  9. Weekly review & goal setting (20–30 min every Sunday)
  10. Micro-challenge: 1 minute of speaking on a random topic (daily)

Detailed habits + specific exercises

1) Morning speaking — “first 5 minutes”

What to do: Immediately after waking up, say 3–4 sentences about your plan for the day in English.

Example (aloud):

I’m having coffee now. Today I’ll prepare a presentation and call two clients. After work, I’ll go for a short run.

Exercise: Every morning, record a 30-second voice file on your phone. After a week, listen to it and note 3 mistakes or words that are repeated.

2) Vocabulary flash minimum — “3 words in 5 minutes”

What to do: learn 3 words/phrases, but immediately use them in sentences.

Exercise: choose 3 words (for example: prioritize, negotiations, to catch up). Write one sentence for each and say them aloud 3 times each. The next day, find them in context (news, podcast) — this will reinforce the connections.

3) Shadowing — repeating after a native speaker

What to do: listen to a short audio clip and repeat (shadow) at the same time. This speeds up pronunciation and intonation.

Exercise: Find a 1–2 minute video or podcast excerpt. Turn on English subtitles, listen to the first 30 seconds, then repeat after the speaker, trying to copy the rhythm and stress.

4) Targeted monologue — “10 minutes on a topic”

What to do: speak for 10 minutes every day on a given topic — work, hobbies, news.

Exercise: choose a topic, for example: How I plan my week. Set up the structure: intro — 2-3 points — conclusion. Record your monologue, listen to it, and correct 2-3 mistakes.

5) Reading + writing down useful phrases

What to do: read a short blog post or news article in English, write down 3 phrases/word combinations.

Exercise: after reading, compose 2 sentences with the phrases you found and say them in a dialogue with yourself.

6) Video with notes (active watching)

What to do: watch a 5–10 minute video and take notes in English (main idea, 2 useful expressions).

Exercise: after watching, write a 1-minute summary of the video in English.

7) Small “real action” — use English outside of class

What to do: do one real action in English — write a comment, buy a ticket, fill out a form.

Exercise: write a short message (3-4 sentences) to a seller on an international platform or social network.

8) Evening self-check recording

What to do: 2–5 minutes of audio recording about what you learned today.

Exercise: at the end of the week, track your progress: what worked, what didn’t, and what to change minimally tomorrow.

9) Weekly review & goal setting

What to do: every Sunday, analyze your progress and set one specific goal for the week.

Exercise: SMART goal: “Next week, I will conduct 5 morning talks and 3 shadowing sessions of 10 minutes each.”

10) Micro-challenge: 1 minute on a random topic

What to do: take a card with a word/topic and speak for 1 minute. This trains you to respond quickly.

Exercise: use the topic generator on your phone or a list of 20 questions and choose at random.

Daily routines in English — short templates for immediate practice

Each template takes 1–2 minutes and can be incorporated into your daily routine. Exercise: choose a template and adapt it to your day. Write it down or send it to a colleague (if appropriate).

  1. Morning routine (story):
  2. Today I woke up at 7. I had coffee, checked emails, and planned my tasks. My first meeting is at 9.
  3. Commute summary (3 sentences):
  4. On my way to work I read an article about productivity. I learned about time-blocking and decided to try it today.
  5. Work update (in the work chat):
  6. Quick update: I finished the draft and will send it for review by 3 PM. Could you please check the timeline?
  7. Problem & solution (briefly):
  8. We faced a delay with the supplier, so I proposed an alternative plan and informed the team.

Practical cases — how to build a routine into a busy schedule

Case 1: manager with a busy schedule (morning and evening)

Situation: many meetings, little free time.

Recipe: 5-minute voice note in the morning + 10-minute shadowing at lunch + 2-minute recording in the evening.

Example: 7:10 — 3 sentences about the day; 1:30 p.m. — audio from a podcast on the way; 9:00 p.m. — recording about 1 achievement.

Case 2: Father/mother with a small child (breaks between tasks)

Situation: Short breaks of 10–15 minutes.

Recipe: Micro-lessons: 3 words during breakfast + 10 minutes of shadowing during a walk + practical dialogue with a child (English songs or phrases).

Example exercise: find 5 pictures and briefly describe them in English — 10 min.

Case 3: someone preparing for an interview or presentation

Situation: need for targeted preparation.

Recipe: daily 10-min monologue on the presentation topic + feedback from a colleague/teacher once a week.

Exercise: 7-minute presentation rehearsal, recording and analysis of speech (rhythm, fillers, clarity).

Small tips that make big changes

  1. Record only what you repeat every day — 3–5 points.
  2. Use your phone as a “hard” deadline: 10-minute timer = exercise completed.
  3. Change the format: one day — reading, another — speaking; this way, your brain won’t get tired.
  4. Make English visible: stickers, a list of phrases on the fridge, reminders in your calendar.
  5. Don’t be a perfectionist — the goal is to be clear and confident, not perfect.

What to do when motivation drops

● Reduce the time: instead of 15 minutes — 5 minutes.

● Return to enjoyable topics: watch an episode of your favorite show in English with subtitles.

● Introduce a “check market”: mark the days when you did the exercise — 7 days in a row = a small reward.

● Consult a live teacher: a 20-minute conversation lesson often restores enthusiasm.

How to track your progress (a simple system)

  1. Tracker: a table with columns — date, exercise, minutes, comments.
  2. Weekly snapshot: listen to 2 recordings from the beginning and end of the week — you will notice the difference.
  3. Set a 3-month goal and break it down into small steps.

Example of one week (template for busy people)

Monday: 5-minute morning recording + 10 minutes of shadowing

Tuesday: 3 words + 10 minutes of reading

Wednesday: 10-minute monologue + 3-minute micro-challenge

Thursday: 10-minute video + recording mistakes

Friday: practice with a native speaker or language club 20 minutes

Saturday: 20-minute weekly review

Sunday: rest or something light (a movie in English)

A short dictionary of useful phrases for daily routines (in English)

● to get things done — to finish tasks

● to plan ahead — to plan in advance

● time-blocking — blocking time

● to catch up — to catch up, to complete overdue tasks

● quick review — quick review

Exercise: make 3 sentences with words from the dictionary and say them aloud.

How it works with our courses

By implementing even one or two of these habits, you are already moving forward. If you want structured support, our online English courses for adults are designed specifically for people with busy schedules: short, targeted lessons, tailored homework assignments, feedback from your teacher, and a plan that is realistic to stick to. We help you turn chaotic motivation into a systematic habit — step by step, without stress and with clear goals. Start today with one morning recording — and let us accompany you further. You will be able to speak English more confidently faster than you think.

Take an online English test before you start.

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Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine summarized its work for 2025

The Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Kyiv (CSHAU) held an extended meeting of its board, during which it summarized the institution’s activities for 2025 and identified key priorities for 2026, according to the archive’s Facebook page.

“An extended meeting of the board of the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Kyiv was held, during which the results of the archive’s work in 2025 were summarized and priorities for 2026 were determined. The main results of the archive’s work are reflected in the presentation,” said the head of the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine, Yaroslav Fayzulin.

The meeting was attended by the director and deputy directors of the archive, heads of structural units, as well as invited members of the board, in particular, Iryna Dubok, head of the archival department of the State Archival Service of Ukraine, Viktor Brekhunenko, head of the department of archival archaeography at the M.S. Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archaeography and Source Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Iryna Matyash, leading researcher at the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and the head of the department of archival science and source studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. M.S. Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archeography and Source Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Iryna Matyash, leading researcher at the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and Marina Palienko, head of the Department of Archival Studies and Special Fields of Historical Science at the Faculty of History of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

As noted, the results of the work of the Central State Archives of Ukraine in 2025 and the main priority tasks for 2026 were announced in a report by the director of the archives, Yaroslav Fayzulin.

After hearing and discussing the report, the board recognized the work of the archive over the past year as satisfactory and determined the main areas of activity for 2026, taking into account the Strategy for the Protection of Documentary Heritage as a guarantee of the preservation of national identity and statehood for the period until 2027, as well as the priorities of the State Archival Service of Ukraine.

The results of the activities of the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine are also reflected in a presentation prepared by the archive.

As previously reported, documents on the birth of Taras Shevchenko were displayed at the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Kyiv. In addition, the head of the archive, Yaroslav Fayzulin, in a comment for the “Culture” section of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, spoke about the institution’s most valuable collections and demonstrated a selection of unique documents, old prints, maps, and manuscripts that form the “treasure trove of Ukraine’s archival heritage” and present it to the world.

https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1150545.html

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