In January-May of this year, the Zaporizhstal steel plant in Zaporizhia increased its rolled steel output by 4.6% compared to the same period last year, to 1 million 97.3 thousand tons from 1 million 48.8 thousand tons.
According to the plant’s press release on Monday, steel production for the period amounted to 1 million 296.8 thousand tons (in January-May 2024 – 1 million 249.5 thousand tons), pig iron – 1 million 426.9 thousand tons (1 million 290.4 thousand tons).
In May, Zaporizhstal produced 294.5 thousand tons of pig iron, 277.9 thousand tons of steel, and 233.1 thousand tons of rolled products.
As reported, in 2024, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel production by 18.1% compared to 2023, to 2 million 426.7 thousand tons from 2 million 54.7 thousand tons, and steel production by 17.2%, to 2 million 890.8 thousand
Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel output in 2023 by 57.2% compared to 2022, 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 Ukraine’s largest industrial enterprises, whose products are in high demand among consumers both on the domestic market and in many countries around the world.
Zaporizhstal is in the process of integration into the Metinvest Group, whose main shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%).
Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
For the first time in two years, the average microloan amount has decreased slightly
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, Ukrainians have signed more than 2.17 million contracts totaling nearly UAH 13 billion with microfinance organizations (MFOs) this year. The number of microloans increased by 8%, but the average loan amount decreased for the first time in two years, amounting to UAH 5,858. In total, Ukrainians owed MFIs almost UAH 24.3 billion as of early April 2025. This is twice as much as at the beginning of the full-scale war.
Ukrainians signed over 2.17 million loan agreements with MFIs in the first quarter of 2025. This is 8% more than in the same period last year. The total amount of such agreements amounted to UAH 12.72 billion.
However, despite the increase in the number of loans, the average loan amount decreased for the first time in two years — by 2% compared to the same period last year, and currently stands at 5,858 UAH. Prior to this, the average check had only been growing.
On average, Ukrainians signed 724,000 agreements per month, which is slightly more than last year’s figure of 693,000 per month.
In total, Ukrainians owed MFIs UAH 24.28 billion as of April 1, 2025. This is twice as much as at the beginning of the full-scale war in April 2022. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the debt increased by UAH 4.3 billion, or 22%.
It should be noted that according to updated data from the NBU, Ukrainians’ debts did not decrease by 2.7 billion hryvnia, as was reported in previous reports, but instead increased by 1.4 billion hryvnia at the end of 2024. In total, the debt doubled in 2024, increasing by 10.7 billion hryvnia.
63% of microloans are taken for a term of 93 days to 1 year. The share of such agreements has remained almost unchanged. At the same time, long-term microloans (1 to 2 years) increased 15 times. Their share currently stands at 3.6%. Short-term loans (up to 31 days) have also become more popular: their share increased from 14.5% to 24%. However, the share of loans with a term of 32 to 92 days decreased more than fivefold, from 16.5% to 3%.
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/mfo-2025-1
Zaporizhkox, one of Ukraine’s largest producers of coke and chemical products and part of the Metinvest Group, reduced its production of blast furnace coke by 4.9% in January–May this year compared with the same period last year, to 357,800 tons from 362,700 tons.
According to the company, 76,000 tons of coke were produced in May, compared to 72,060 tons in the previous month.
As reported, Zaporizhkox increased its production of blast furnace coke by 2.1% in 2024 compared to 2023, to 874,700 tons from 856,800 tons.
In 2023, Zaporizhkox increased its production of blast furnace coke by 16% compared to 2022, to 856,800 tons from 737,400 tons.
Zaporizhkox produces about 10% of the coke produced in Ukraine and has a complete technological cycle for the processing of coke-chemical products. In addition, it produces coke oven gas and petroleum coke.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its main shareholders are the SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage the company.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
Scientists from the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA), together with partners, have launched an international project to create new concrete mixtures using waste, in particular, destroyed structures, for construction using 3D printing and traditional methods, according to the KNUCA press service.
The release states that as part of the project “Development of new approaches and construction materials for the restoration of Ukraine’s damaged infrastructure with consideration for environmental sustainability,” researchers are developing a concrete mixture with the addition of materials resulting from the destruction of buildings and other industrial and agricultural waste.
The restoration of housing in Ukraine requires the introduction of universal technologies for rapid construction that allow for the construction of sustainable and affordable buildings even in conditions of limited resources. Due to the war, many buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed. The remains of concrete structures can be effectively recycled and used for the construction of new housing. Compared to traditional construction methods, 3D printing of buildings can ensure faster construction rates, significantly reduce human resource use, and save materials and energy.
The project is co-funded by the US Office of Naval Research and the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The research is being conducted as part of the multilateral partnership initiative “International Multilateral Partnership for Ensuring the Sustainability of the Education and Science System in Ukraine (IMPRESS-U), launched by the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) of the US National Science Foundation with the participation of researchers from Stony Brook University in the US and the Jan and Jędrzej Sniadecki University of Technology in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
The project will last two years.
At KNUBA, the implementation of this project has been entrusted to lecturers, postgraduate students, and students of the Faculty of Construction and Technology, in particular, the Department of Building Materials and the Department of Building Structures and Products Technology.
Growth in capital investment in Ukraine in January-March 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 slowed to 32.5% from 48.1% in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the State Statistics Service.
According to the State Statistics Service, UAH 123.8 billion in capital investments were disbursed in the first quarter of this year.
The main source of financing for capital investments in January-March 2025 remains the own funds of enterprises and organizations, which accounted for 77.1% of the total volume.
The State Statistics Service specifies that the share of the state budget was 3.5%, the population’s funds for housing construction – 6.5%, local budgets – 2.7%, bank and other borrowed funds – 4.7%, and foreign investors’ funds – only 0.3%.
A significant share of capital investments was spent on machinery and equipment (36.8%), engineering structures (18.2%), and transport vehicles (10.7%) of all investments.
According to the State Statistics Service, capital investments grew the most during the period in question in the transport, warehousing, postal, and courier services sectors, increasing 2.4 times to UAH 15.7 billion, in agriculture, increasing 46.9% to UAH 13.6 billion, and in industry, increasing 25% to UAH 48.7 billion.
In wholesale and retail trade, capital investment grew by 55.8% to UAH 11.3 billion, in legal and accounting activities – by 46.1% to UAH 0.46 billion, in information and telecommunications – by 42% to UAH 5.5 billion, in real estate transactions – 2.4 times, to UAH 3.7 billion.
It is noted that in the field of professional, scientific, and technical activities, growth amounted to 16.3%, to UAH 1.1 billion, in financial and insurance activities – 79.4%, to UAH 4.5 billion, in construction – 14%, to 10.5 billion UAH, in state administration and defense – 31.4%, to 61 billion UAH, in education – 97.8%, to 0.2 billion UAH, in healthcare – 52.4%, to 2.6 billion UAH.
According to the statistics office, capital investments in Ukraine in 2024 increased by 35.1% compared to 2023 and amounted to UAH 534.4 billion.
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with the Belt and Road Trade and Investment Promotion Center in Ukraine, organized a bilateral business event.
The event, held on May 22, 2025, brought together hundreds of representatives of Ukrainian and Chinese companies interested in establishing direct cooperation at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“China remains Ukraine’s main trading partner. Despite the distance, complex logistics, and tensions, cooperation between companies continues. This is because many sectors of the Ukrainian economy need affordable Chinese imports. And the Chinese market needs Ukrainian products. I hope that the business dialogue will be a prelude to deeper mutual understanding at all levels,” said Gennady Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during the opening of the forum.
The Chinese delegation included representatives of 11 Chinese companies. Among them were manufacturers of building materials and thermal insulation solutions; packaging and food equipment; consumer electronics and household goods; pharmaceutical products, electric vehicles, rehabilitation equipment, and prosthetics; companies providing logistics, tourism, consulting services, green energy, and agricultural technology.
Business representatives took part in B2B negotiations with potential partners. Chinese entrepreneurs expressed interest in investment activities in most sectors of Ukraine’s economy.
Interfax-Ukraine is the information partner of the forum.
