Zaporizhzhia-based Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works increased its rolled steel output by 9.7% year-on-year to 215 thousand tons from 196 thousand tons in January this year.
According to the company’s press release on Tuesday, steel production for the period amounted to 243 thousand tons (January-2023: 235.5 thousand tons), pig iron – 287.7 thousand tons (261 thousand tons).
In December, Zaporizhstal produced 284.7 thousand tons of iron, 245.5 thousand tons of steel, and shipped 234.1 thousand tons of rolled products.
As reported earlier, in 2024, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel output by 18.1% compared to 2023 – to 2 million 426.7 thousand tons from 2 million 54.7 thousand tons, steel by 17.2% to 2 million 890.8 thousand tons, and pig iron by 14.2% to 3 million 106.3 thousand tons.
“In 2023, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled products output by 57.2% compared to 2022, up to 2 million 54.7 thousand tons, steel by 65.4%, to 2 million 466.9 thousand tons, and pig iron by 35.3%, to 2 million 718.9 thousand tons.
“Zaporizhstal is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Ukraine, whose products are in great demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries of the world.
“Zaporizhstal is in the process of integration into Metinvest Group, whose major shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%).
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
In the first five months of the 2024-2025 marketing year (September 2024-January 2025), Ukraine exported more than 352 thousand tons of sugar to foreign markets, which is 17% more than in the same period of 2023-2024 MY, the press service of the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine Ukrtsukor reported on Facebook.
The business association emphasized that the entire exported volume was directed to the world market, while in September 2023-January 2024, the share of exports to the world market was only 9.5%.
“The significant increase in the world market share in sugar exports is the result of successful efforts of Ukrainian sugar producers to find alternative markets due to restrictions imposed on Ukrainian sugar by the EU,” the industry association explained.
The main export destinations for Ukrainian sugar in September 2024-January 2025 were Turkey (19% of total exports), Libya, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and North Macedonia.
Ukrtsukr noted that since January 1, 2025, the possibility of exporting sugar from Ukraine to the EU countries has been restored. During the first 5 months of 2025, the domestic producers will be able to export 107.3 thousand tons of sugar to the EU.
As reported, in the production season of 2024, Ukrainian sugar producers produced 1.8 million tons of sugar. The volume of the domestic market in Ukraine is currently estimated at 900 thousand tons per year.
Astarta Agro-Industrial Holding, the largest sugar producer in Ukraine, exported its products to 53 countries in 2024, supplying more than 1.2 million tons of products to global markets, which is 18% more than in 2023, the company’s press service reported on Facebook.
“Despite all the challenges of 2024, our exports have become a vivid example of the resilience and professionalism of the team. We have not only maintained our positions in international markets but also expanded the geography of supplies, opening up new prospects for growth,” said Vyacheslav Chuk, Astarta’s Chief Commercial and Strategic Marketing Officer.
According to the agricultural holding, the main consumers of Astarta’s corn in 2024 were Spain, Egypt, Italy and Ireland. Soybean oil and meal were supplied mainly to the markets of Eastern Europe, as well as to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Sugar was mainly consumed in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and CEFTA countries.
The company plans to further expand its sales markets, optimize export logistics and increase export volumes, the agricultural holding summarized.
“Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding company operating in eight regions of Ukraine. It includes six sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220 thousand hectares and dairy farms with 22 thousand cattle, an oil extraction plant in Globyno (Poltava region), seven elevators and a biogas complex.
In 2023, the agricultural holding reduced its net profit by 5.0% to EUR 61.9 million, and its EBITDA decreased by 6.1% to EUR 145.77 million, while revenue increased by 21.3% to EUR 618.93 million.
Having a baby in the United States has always attracted future parents from all over the world. In addition to the high level of medical services, this gives the child a unique opportunity to automatically become a US citizen, regardless of the status of their parents. But will the rules for granting citizenship change due to Donald Trump’s new executive order?
Donald Trump’s executive order to abolish birthright citizenship has sparked heated debate not only in America but around the world. This practice, known as jus soli (“right to the land”), has become the subject of litigation and political confrontation. How will this affect maternity tourism in the United States and the future of those who plan to give birth in America?
According to the decree, US government agencies must stop issuing citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who do not have legal status. However, this decree is unlikely to become law in the coming years. The granting of citizenship remains strictly regulated by the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to citizenship to every person born in the country.
The order has been subject to widespread legal challenges. The attorneys general of 22 states have filed lawsuits challenging the unconstitutionality of the decision. And the Federal Court in Seattle has already blocked the order by imposing a temporary moratorium. The lawsuits argue that citizenship is a right guaranteed by the constitution, and even the president cannot cancel it with a single decree.
Even if the moratorium is in effect or the decree is blocked by the courts, the issuance of citizenship to children continues as usual. For many parents, the right to citizenship is the main reason for choosing to give birth in the United States. A US citizen child receives privileges in education, employment, and social security, and also opens up the possibility for parents to obtain the right to reside in the US in the future through family reunification.
Giving birth in the United States is attractive not only because of citizenship. The high level of medicine, modern equipment, and qualified doctors ensure comfort and safety for mother and child. Many people also appreciate the tropical climate and relaxed atmosphere, which contributes to easy recovery after childbirth.
Service packages include:
– Assistance in choosing a clinic and a doctor.
– Arranging accommodation and transfers.
– Legal support for the preparation of documents for the child.
– Childbirth and medical support during pregnancy.
The company’s clients note the high level of service and care. For example, one of the mothers notes: “The whole process, from the organization to the delivery itself, was as comfortable as possible. We felt safe, and the doctors are true professionals. Many thanks to the AIST team!”
Despite attempts to change the citizenship policy, the likelihood of Trump’s decree being implemented is low due to strong opposition from the judiciary and the public. Court proceedings will drag on for years, and children born in the United States will continue to receive citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
Thus, there is no cause for concern for those planning to give birth in the United States. American citizenship remains a profitable investment in the child’s future, and the services of professionals such as AIST will help make this process as comfortable as possible
AIST, birth tourism, LABOR, TRUMP, USA
Cabinet furniture manufacturer Accord Import (Khmelnytsky) will almost triple its production capacity by building a new plant in Khmelnytsky, where it plans to create 140 jobs, according to Dmytro Kysylevsky, deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development.
“Construction of a new cabinet furniture plant has started in Khmelnytsky. The project’s investor is Accord Import. After the new plant is launched, its production capacity will increase from 420 thousand square meters to 1.2 million square meters of cabinet furniture per month. This will allow the company to enter the top 5 manufacturers of cabinet furniture in Europe,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
According to the MP, the amount of investment in the new project is $14 million. The launch of the first production lines is scheduled for July 2025, and the new plant should reach full capacity in September.
Kisilevsky noted that a 1.1 MW solar power plant has been built and an additional 2.8 MW is under construction to meet the electricity needs, and a gas piston plant has been purchased.
“Currently, the existing Accord Import facility is 100% utilized. About 70% of the company’s orders for cabinet furniture come from the international retail chain JYSK, which in 2025 increased the volume of orders for cabinet furniture from Ukraine by a third,” Kysylevsky wrote.
According to the company’s Facebook page, Raiffeisen Bank has extended the term of the credit line under this contract, which was granted at the end of 2023, and the term of the ECA insurance contract for Accord Import.
“Thus, Raif and ECA have supported furniture exports for 2025 to Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Sweden, Germany and Spain,” the company wrote.
According to Kysylevsky, Accord Import exports 96% of its products to the EU, and the launch of the new plant will expand the geography of exports to the Middle East, South Asia, and South America.
The MP also clarified that the owners of Accord Import, the Grabar family, started out as furniture importers, while now it is Ukraine’s largest exporter of cabinetry.
He also added that to replace the imports of cellular cardboard used by the company for furniture packaging, another company is currently under construction in Khmelnytsky Oblast to produce this product.
“And the supplier of wooden boards for Accrod Import is Kronospan, which has recently launched a production line in Rivne region,” Kysylevsky added.
According to the Clarirty Project, Accord Import LLC was registered in Khmelnytskyi in August 2015. The company’s authorized capital is UAH 42.105 million, and the owners are Mykola, Ruslan, and Vadym Hrabar in equal shares.
In January-September 2024, the company increased its net profit by 23% compared to the same period in 2023 to UAH 120.6 million, with net revenue growing by 27% to UAH 1 billion 271 million.
In 2024-2025 marketing year (MY, July-June), Ukraine remained the main supplier of rapeseed to the European Union, supplying 3.4 mln tonnes of the seed, up 5% compared to the same period of the previous year, APK-Inform reported citing the German Grain and Oilseed Farmers’ Association (UFOP).
“With the volume of 2.2 mln tons and the import share of 63%, Ukraine remains the most important country of origin, as in previous years. This is slightly higher than the last year’s volume of 2.1 mln tons,” the analysts said.
At the same time, the second wave of oilseed imports from Australia is expected in the second half of the season, which has already supplied 875 thsd tonnes of rapeseed to the EU market by mid-January. According to the research of Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH), this is about 19% more than in the same period last season.
“With the share of almost 26%, Australia is the second most important supplier of rapeseed to the EU, followed by Canada – 144 thsd tonnes,” the report says.
It is added that the volume of shipments from Canada increased more than three times compared to the previous year, although it remains at a rather low level. This is due to the fact that Canada mainly grows GM rapeseed varieties, while the EU has restrictions on the use of oil produced from them. Therefore, Canadian imports are mainly intended for biofuel production, APK-Inform added.
