Imports of electric batteries and separators to Ukraine in January–March 2026 increased 3.8-fold compared to the same period in 2025—to $833.9 million, according to data from the State Customs Service.
The main supplier of these products in the first quarter was China, from which $736.8 million worth of batteries were imported, accounting for 88.4% of total imports. Products were also supplied from the Czech Republic ($19.7 million) and Taiwan ($11.9 million).
In January–March of last year, the largest suppliers were China with a 79.2% share, Bulgaria with 5.3%, and Taiwan with 3.8%.
In March 2026, battery imports increased 4.4-fold compared to March 2025, but decreased by 8.6% compared to February of this year—to $282 million.
At the same time, battery exports from Ukraine over the three-month period totaled $11.4 million, compared to $11 million a year earlier. The main export destinations were Poland — $3.3 million, France — $2 million, and Germany — $1.7 million.
As reported, at the end of July 2024, Ukraine exempted imports of electric generator equipment and batteries from customs duties and VAT. By the end of 2025, battery imports into Ukraine had grown by 55% compared to 2024—to $1.48 billion.
Source: https://expertsclub.eu
The Swiss Federal Council has approved the launch of a housing tax reform effective January 1, 2029—from that point on, homeowners who live in their own homes will no longer pay tax on the so-called imputed rental value (Eigenmietwert).
This is one of the most unique tax rules in Europe: until now, living in one’s own house or apartment in Switzerland was considered imputed income, on which income tax was levied. As part of the reform, this system will be abolished for both primary and secondary residences, while parliament simultaneously provided a constitutional option for cantons to introduce a special tax on second homes.
The reform became possible after Swiss voters supported changes to housing taxation in a referendum on September 28, 2025. According to Swissinfo, 57.7% of voters supported the reform. The Federal Council rejected requests from several Alpine cantons to postpone the launch of the new system until at least 2030, deciding to maintain the effective date of the changes as 2029.
For the housing market, this means not only the abolition of the imputed rental income tax but also a revision of related tax deductions. According to the official explanation, the current model was based on a balance between taxing imputed income and the ability to deduct mortgage interest and housing maintenance costs from the tax base. Following the reform, this mechanism will be significantly altered, and the cantons will have to adapt their own tax regimes over the coming years.
For foreign investors and real estate buyers, this news is important primarily as a signal of further adjustments to the rules governing home ownership in Switzerland. At the same time, the final impact of the reform on the tax burden will depend on the structure of real estate ownership, the presence of a mortgage, and how specific cantons exercise their right to impose a separate tax on second homes.
The Zaporizhzhia Metallurgical Plant “Zaporizhstal” has confirmed that its rolled steel products comply with European quality standards, having successfully passed a recertification audit to verify that its hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel meets the requirements of standards EN 10025 and EN 10130.
According to information from the company, on Thursday, February 23–24, 2026, auditors from Technical and Management Services LLC, a corporate partner of the German group TÜV SÜD Ukraine, inspected Zaporizhstal’s production technology for hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel products.
It is noted that the key areas of the audit were the main rolling mills: the hot rolling mill and the cold rolling mill. Particular attention was paid to examining the processes for organizing and conducting product testing for mechanical properties in the laboratories of the plant’s product testing and certification center. The auditors reviewed the plant’s regulatory, technical, and organizational documentation related to rolled steel production.
Based on the audit results, Zaporizhstal received a certificate of conformity for hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel products with the requirements of standard EN 10025-1:2004 (Annex ZA), Construction Regulation 305/2011/EU, and standard EN 10130, valid for three years.
It is noted that Zaporizhstal has been operating in accordance with the requirements of standards EN 10025-1:2004 and EN 10130:2006 since 2016. The plant has also been certified and has regularly confirmed its compliance with the requirements of the ISO 9001 quality management system since 2003, the ISO 14001 environmental management system, and the ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system since 2008.
Zaporizhstal is one of Ukraine’s largest industrial enterprises, whose products are in high demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries around the world.
Zaporizhstal is a joint venture of the Metinvest Group, whose main shareholders are PJSC System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Steel Limited (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of the Metinvest Group.
Investment company S1 REIT supports the adoption and implementation of a draft law on the taxation of income received through digital platforms as a tool for combating the shadow economy in the real estate rental market, the company’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
S1 REIT CFO Vadym Pavlushyna noted that real estate investment trusts (REITs) operate with full tax transparency.
“We pay all taxes required by law on behalf of our investors. Specifically, dividend income is taxed at a rate of 9% (personal income tax) and 5% (military levy). For us, this is the standard, which we conscientiously and strictly adhere to. However, let’s be frank: most of the rental market remains in the ‘shadows.’ This creates an uneven playing field. It is quite difficult to convince people to ‘play by the rules’ when loopholes for tax evasion exist. Not least, these gaps are caused by weak regulation and a lack of oversight. “If the new bill creates conditions under which it becomes harder to avoid paying taxes, this will be a positive signal for the entire market,” he commented.
He emphasized that not only the state stands to gain from regulating the industry, but also investors and property owners who verify their income.
“They will be able to freely manage their funds and not fear audits, as they will have official confirmation of their income sources. This has become standard practice in EU countries, and Ukraine will finally not be an exception,” Pavlushyin noted.
As reported, on April 8, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading, as a basis subject to further refinement, draft law No. 15111-d on the automatic exchange of information regarding income on digital platforms, which is a structural milestone of the new financing program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Ukraine was required to implement in March.
The initial version of the bill (No. 15111), submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers, covered income from the rental of real estate and vehicles; personal services and the sale of goods received by an individual through digital platforms in amounts up to 834 times the minimum wage (approximately UAH 7.2 million as of 2026), as well as the introduction of a tax threshold of EUR 2,000 per year. The obligations of a tax agent will fall on digital platform operators.
Draft Law No. 15111-d is a revised version of the initial government document prepared by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy. Unlike the first draft, the final text omits a number of provisions that businesses and industry experts considered excessive.
A key change in Document No. 15111-d is the introduction of a preferential tax regime for self-employed individuals. It provides that instead of the general rate of 19.5% (18% personal income tax and 1.5% military levy) for income received through digital platforms, a rate of 5% will apply. For the duration of this special regime, such income is also exempt from the military levy. This model applies to individuals whose annual income does not exceed the limit set for the second group of single tax payers.
The revised draft document also clarified the registration procedure: users of online services will not need to register as sole proprietors—self-employed status will be granted automatically after registering on the platform and consenting to the transfer of information to the tax service.
S1 REIT is an investment company specializing in investments in professionally managed income-generating real estate. The company operates under the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) model, providing investors with the opportunity to participate in the ownership and receipt of income from profitable properties without directly managing the assets.
Currently, S1 REIT’s portfolio includes two funds—S1 VDNG and S1 Obolon. The funds’ assets consist of apartments in income-generating buildings developed by Standard One.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presided over a ceremony to receive the credentials of new diplomatic representatives from foreign countries and discussed issues of international security and support for Ukraine.
The newly appointed ambassadors who presented their credentials to Zelenskyy are Ahmed Ouail of Algeria, Alan Deniega of the Philippines, Jeff Bowan of Australia, and Victor Kirile of Moldova. The President congratulated them on the start of their diplomatic missions and thanked them for supporting Ukraine’s independence.
During the meeting, they discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, the protection of citizens, as well as the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region. According to Zelenskyy, partners emphasize the importance of Ukraine’s security mission and cooperation with countries currently under attack by the Iranian regime.
“Our goal is absolutely clear: we must enhance security everywhere and do everything possible to end the war and ensure reliable protection. We are counting heavily on coordination and mutual support. Ukraine is open to cooperation with everyone who truly values peace,” the president emphasized.
ALGERIA, AMBASSADOR, AUSTRALIA, MOLDOVA, PHILIPPINES, ZELENSKYY
Centrenergo PJSC, 78.3% of whose shares are owned by the state, reported a net profit of UAH 4.6 billion for 2025, following years of losses, the company announced.
“23 billion UAH in revenue, 4.64 billion UAH in net profit, 22% profitability, 2.7 billion UAH in taxes and fees paid, 2 billion UAH in debts from previous periods repaid, 2 billion UAH of own funds spent on recovery after shelling,” the company stated in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The company also noted that its equity increased from a deficit of 6 billion UAH to a surplus of 2 billion UAH, calling this an exit from default.
“This is more than just a financial result. We have proven that a state-owned company can be effective and become a pillar of support for the country. Even under shelling, we bring benefit to the country and light to Ukrainians,” emphasized Centrenergo CEO Yevhen Harkavyi.
The company noted that over the course of the year, it sustained over 100 hits during shelling by the Russian Federation.
As reported, the State Property Fund, as the owner of 78.289% of the shares in PJSC “Centrenergo,” proposes to allocate between 1.2 billion UAH and 3 billion UAH for dividends based on the company’s 2025 performance, representing 30% and 75% of its net profit, respectively. The meeting is scheduled for April 24.
In December 2025, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Andriy Hota, then-chairman of Centrenergo’s supervisory board, noted that the company was expected to end 2025 with a financial result that, in his words, had been achieved for the first time in decades—approximately 4.5 billion UAH in net profit. He added that starting in July 2024, when Yevhen Harkavyi was appointed CEO, Centrenergo had not posted a loss in a single month. In addition, the company has repaid nearly 2.5 billion UAH in debts from previous periods, including those owed to state-owned mines and Naftogaz, and has stopped accumulating new debt. At the same time, he noted that Ukrenergo owes the power company 2.2 billion UAH for work on the balancing market.
On April 2, at a meeting of Centrenergo shareholders, the State Property Fund proposed former Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn and former Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets as candidates for members of its supervisory board—as its representatives. In addition, the State Property Fund proposed three independent members for the supervisory board: Farid Safarov, former deputy head of the Ministry of Energy from 2021 to 2024, who has also served as chairman of the supervisory board of JSC “UkrTatNafta” for the past four years and, since 2025, an advisor to the chairman of PJSC “Ukrnaftovoronburinnya,” Yelyzaveta Pushko-Tsybulyak, who served as head of the Finance Department from 2020 to 2023 and as a member of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine from 2024 to 2025, as well as Benoît Plesca, who has headed the supervisory board of PJSC “Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company” from 2025 to the present, and served as chairman of the supervisory board of JSC “Ukrposhta” from 2018 to 2023.
