Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Ukraine almost doubled steel production in January to January 2023

In January of this year, Ukrainian steelmakers increased steel production by 91.5% compared to the same period in 2022, up to 544 thousand tons from 284 thousand tons, and by 4.6% compared to the previous month, when 520 thousand tons were smelted.

At the same time, Ukraine retained its 21st place in the ranking of 71 countries that are global producers of these products compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel).

According to Worldsteel, in December 2023, steel production increased compared to January 2023 in most of the top ten countries, except for China, the United States, Germany and Brazil.

The top ten steel producing countries in January are as follows: China (77.240 million tons, down 6.9% by January 2023), India (12.514 million tons, up 7.3%), Japan (7.266 million tons, up 0.6%), the United States (6.801 million tons, down 0.3%), and the Russian Federation (6.240 million tons, up 1.2%), South Korea (5.711 million tons, up 1.5%), Turkey (3.247 million tons, up 24.7%), Germany (2.9 million tons, down 0.9%), Iran (2.603 million tons, up 39.3%) and Brazil (2.520 million tons, down 7.2%).

Overall, in January 2024, steel production decreased by 1.6% compared to the same period in 2023 to 148.108 million tons.

As reported, in December 2023, Ukraine increased steel production by 4.9 times compared to the same period in 2022, up to 520 thousand tons from 106 thousand tons, but decreased by 4.8% compared to the previous month, when 546 thousand tons were smelted. The top ten steel producing countries in December were as follows: China (67.440 million tons, down 14.9% by December 2022), India (12.141 million tons, + 9.5%), Japan (6.980 million tons, +1.1%), the United States (6.813 million tons, +7.6%), the Russian Federation (6 million tons, +4.3%), South Korea (5.375 million tons, +2.7%), Turkey (3.224 million tons, +21.2%), Iran (2.872 million tons, +12.1%), Germany (2.631 million tons, -2.3%) and Brazil (2.523 million tons, +0.9%).

Overall, in December 2023, steel production decreased by 5.3% compared to the same period in 2022 to 135.666 million tons.

In 2023, the top ten steel-producing countries are as follows: China (1 billion 19.080 million tons at the level of the previous year), India (140.171 million tons, +11.8%), Japan (86.996 million tons, -2.5%), the United States (80.664 million tons, +0.2%), the Russian Federation (75.8 million tons, +5, 6%), South Korea (66.676 million tons, +1.3%), Germany (35.438 million tons, -3.9%), Turkey (33.714 million tons, -4%), Brazil (31.869 million tons, -6.5%) and Iran (31.139 million tons, +1.8%).

In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 849.734 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.1% less than in 2022.

At the same time, Ukraine produced 6.228 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.6% lower than in 2022. The country was ranked 22nd in 2023.

In 2022, the top ten steel producing countries were as follows: China (1.013 billion tons, -2.1%), India (124.720 million tons, +5.5%), Japan (89.235 million tons, -7.4%), the United States (80.715 million tons, -5.9%), the Russian Federation (71.5 million tons, -7.2%), South Korea (65, 865 million tons, -6.5%), Germany (36.849 million tons, -8.4%), Turkey (35.134 million tons, -12.9%), Brazil (33.972 million tons, -5.8%) and Iran (30.593 million tons, +8%).

Ukraine ranked 23rd in 2022 with 6.263 million tons of steel produced (-70.7%).

In total, 64 countries produced 1 billion 831.467 million tons of steel in 2022, which is 4.3% less than in 2021.

TAS Insurance Group increased premium collection by 30.6% in January

In January 2024, TAS Insurance Group attracted UAH 357.76 million in insurance premiums, which is 30.6% more than the amount of payments collected by the company during the first month of last year.

According to the company’s website, motor hull insurance premiums amounted to 15.19% of the total, or UAH 54.34 million, which is 16.4% higher than in January 2023, motor third party liability insurance premiums – 26.96%, or UAH 96.47 million (+32.3%), Green Card premiums – 25.82%, or UAH 92.3 million (+70.6%), and voluntary health insurance premiums – 21.54%, or UAH 77.07 million (+5.6%).

At the same time, UAH 10.46 million of premiums were collected under property insurance contracts, which is 54.9% more than in January last year.

Under other insurance contracts, TAS IG collected UAH 27.04 million of insurance premiums in the reporting period.

TAS Insurance Group was registered in 1998. It is a universal company offering more than 80 types of insurance products in various types of voluntary and compulsory insurance. It has an extensive regional network of 28 regional directorates and branches.

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UK to provide Ukraine with 200 more Brimstone anti-tank missiles

The United Kingdom will send 200 more Brimstone anti-tank missiles to Ukraine and train 10,000 more Ukrainian soldiers, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in parliament.

“Today I am able to announce a new package of 200 Brimstone anti-tank missiles, which will provide an additional boost to the defense of Ukraine. These missiles have already had a significant impact on the fighting, in one case forcing Russian troops to abandon a river crossing attempt and retreat,” The Guardian quoted Shapps as saying on Thursday.

PA Media also reports, citing the minister, that the UK will train the Ukrainian military together with other allies.

“Together, we will train another 10,000 people in the first half of 2024,” the UK Defense Secretary said.

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Nova Poshta intends to acquire Lviv-based Nova Development

Nova Poshta LLC, Ukraine’s largest logistics operator from the NOVA group, intends to acquire Nova Development LLC (Sokilnyky village, Lviv district, Lviv region), whose main activity is the lease and operation of its own or leased real estate.

According to the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU), it granted Nova Poshta permission on Thursday to acquire a stake that ensures exceeding 50% of the votes in Nova Development.

The state register states that Nova Development, registered at the end of May 2023, is the legal successor of Best Logistics Group, which was engaged in the construction and leasing of logistics complexes and was part of the Globus full-cycle development holding.

“Best Logistics Group has already cooperated with Nova Poshta during the construction of a sorting terminal in Lviv in 2019, with investments of almost EUR 10 million, with Nova Poshta’s investment of about EUR 4 million. According to Vyacheslav Klimov, co-founder of NOVA Group, Nova Poshta was responsible for the equipment, while Best Logistics Group was responsible for the construction of the building.

The Globus website states that its portfolio includes more than 10 projects at various stages of implementation with a total area of 220 thousand square meters, which are being developed together with partners. These include premium and comfort class residential buildings, logistics terminals, business centers, hotels, and mixed-use complexes, while the area of already implemented projects is 96 thousand square meters. It is also noted that the group is a strategic partner of Nova Poshta and has its own production base in the form of two concrete plants.

The authorized capital of Nova Development, according to the state register, is UAH 186.4 million, while that of Best Logistics Group was UAH 1 million. Volodymyr Fenik is listed as the beneficiary through the corporate venture investment fund Magistrate Invest.

In 2022, Best Logistics Group’s revenue amounted to UAH 46.87 million, up from UAH 36.62 million a year earlier, and its net loss increased to UAH 12.33 million from UAH 3.58 million.

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Import of goods in Jan-Oct 2023 in most important positions to previous 2022

Import of goods in Jan-Oct 2023 in most important positions to previous 2022

Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news

Andrzej Duda: Blocking border with Ukraine is not decision of Polish authorities, but of Polish farmers

Polish President Andrzej Duda said that blocking the border with Ukraine is not a decision of the Polish authorities, but of farmers, in turn the government is trying to solve the problem.

“Blocking the border is not a decision of the Polish authorities, it is just a decision made by farmers and farmers’ organizations,” Duda said on the air of the national telethon.

The Polish president hopes that the issue with farmers can be resolved through negotiations.

At the same time, Duda noted that after the Polish authorities opened grain corridors for the transit of Ukrainian grain, the amount of agricultural products transported through Poland from Ukraine increased 300 times.

The interview was recorded before February 20, when Polish striking farmers near the Medika-Szehyni checkpoint opened a cargo container with agricultural products and dumped them on the ground.

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