Apple Inc. intends to continue increasing investment in business development in China and further strengthening cooperation with the aim of achieving mutually beneficial development, said the company’s chief executive Tim Cook at a meeting with China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lichen.
The minister noted that China’s massive domestic market and comprehensive industrial system have enormous potential in terms of investment and consumption, according to Xinhua News Agency.
“We hope that Apple will continue to develop the Chinese market, actively participate in China’s reindustrialization, and work with Chinese companies to promote innovative development across the entire production chain,” Li Lichen said.
He added that China is committed to a policy of openness to the outside world, intends to promote the application of intelligent technologies in industrialization and the intelligent transformation of industry, and will contribute to the creation of a favorable business environment for enterprises with foreign capital participation, including Apple.
Nearly 480 household owners have received microgrants from the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) to develop or rebuild their own businesses.
“The Ukrainian Red Cross continues to support people who are striving to rebuild their lives and secure a stable income. As part of the “Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities” program, 478 household owners have already received UAH 47.8 million in microgrants to implement their own business plans,” the Communications and Marketing Department of the National Committee of the Red Cross Society of Ukraine reported on Wednesday.
The program participants were people who suffered from the war, in particular due to the loss of their jobs, homes, or businesses.
The selection of participants took place in two stages. The first wave of the competition ended in July this year and covered eight regions and the city of Kyiv. The second wave was held in Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Ternopil, Cherkasy, and Khmelnytskyi regions, as well as in Kyiv.
The supported businesses operate in various fields, including: repair services and workshops; the beauty industry – hairdressing, cosmetology, and manicure services; public catering – cafes, bakeries; manufacturing and trade – plumbing, construction, and children’s goods; educational services, children’s rooms; animal husbandry, beekeeping, and plant growing.
The UCC’s “Reboot” program is implemented with the support of the Spanish, Danish, and Swiss Red Cross.
The program has been in operation since 2024 and aims to support micro-entrepreneurship among internally displaced persons, veterans, their family members, and representatives of other vulnerable population groups.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/
Top countries whose citizens become entrepreneurs in Ukraine
Over 1.6 thousand sole proprietorships were opened by foreigners in Ukraine in the first 9 months of 2025, according to the Unified State Register. This is almost 10% less than during the same period last year. At the same time, the net increase between openings and closures this year amounted to 490 non-resident entrepreneurs. Most often, citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Uzbekistan become entrepreneurs in Ukraine.
Foreigners registered 1,648 sole proprietorships this year in Ukraine, which is 10% less than in the same period last year. Overall, only 0.7% of all new entrepreneurs this year are non-residents of Ukraine.
At the same time, 1,158 foreign sole proprietors ceased their activities during the same period. The net growth amounted to 490 non-resident entrepreneurs. In total, more than 213 thousand entrepreneurs closed down in Ukraine during this period, with foreigners making up only 0.5%.
Unlike Ukrainians, most foreign entrepreneurs are men: 69% versus 31% women.
It is worth noting that non-resident entrepreneurs are quite resilient: the median operating time of such a business in Ukraine is 3.1 years. The record holder was a woman with Russian citizenship whose business operated for 30 years and closed at the beginning of this year. For comparison, Ukrainian sole proprietorships last slightly less — 2.5 years.
“Opening sole proprietorships by foreigners is an absolutely normal and legal practice. People who have a temporary or permanent residence permit in Ukraine obtain a tax identification number (TIN), so they can officially run a business and pay taxes on par with Ukrainian citizens. As for citizens of the Russian Federation — they are no exception to this rule. Only those who legally reside in Ukraine can start their own business. In this case, the procedure does not differ from opening a sole proprietorship by any other non-resident,” notes Denys Popov, head of the legal department of Opendatabot, lawyer, and arbitration manager.
Most new entrepreneurs come from Azerbaijan — 229 (14%), followed by citizens of the Russian Federation — 222 (14%), Uzbekistan — 160 (10%), Moldova — 125 (8%), and Armenia — 95 (6%).
The highest number of business closures were among citizens of Russia — 241 (21%), Azerbaijan — 157 (14%), Moldova — 102 (9%), Uzbekistan — 91 (8%), and Belarus — 69 (6%).
The majority of foreigners choose the trade sector — nearly every third business. Other popular sectors include food service (14%), wholesale trade (9%), computer programming (6%), and information services (4%).
Most closures also occur in these sectors: retail trade (37%), computer programming (10%), and food service (9%).
Every third foreign entrepreneur starts their business in Kyiv: 544 in 2025. Next come Odesa region — 300 (18%), Kyiv region — 138 (8%), Kharkiv region — 104 (6%), and Lviv region — 83 (5%). The fewest foreign entrepreneurs are registered in Volyn, Chernihiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Kherson regions — from 2 to 17.
Foreigners mostly close their businesses in the same regions: Kyiv — 297 (26%), Odesa (17%), Kharkiv (9%), Kyiv region (8%), and Dnipropetrovsk (5%).
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/fops-foreigners-2025
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/fops-foreigners-2025
Austrian bank Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has again failed to sell its stake in its Russian business due to opposition from the Russian authorities, according to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the situation.
RBI attempted to sell part of its Russian subsidiary to a local buyer in order to withdraw billions of euros in profits that were “frozen” in Russia. However, the deal requires approval from Russian regulators, which has not been obtained. According to the sources, Russia opposed the move, fearing that the transfer of the stake to the Russian side could provoke Western sanctions against RBI, thereby undermining important channels of financial ties with Europe.
Sources note that Raiffeisen plays a key role in processing payments for Russian gas, including through the TurkStream gas pipeline, making it an important “financial bridge” between Russia and Europe.
RBI’s press service said the bank is scaling back its operations in Russia and that any deal to sell the business “depends on many regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Russian authorities.”
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Raiffeisen has accumulated about €7 billion in profits, which are “blocked” in Russia due to the inability to repatriate them. The bank handles significant transactions related to gas supplies to Europe via pipelines — part of Russian exports, estimated to be worth several billion dollars a year.
Where are businesses relocating to?
According to the Unified State Register, almost 8,000 companies relocated within Ukraine in the first eight months of 2025. In total, Ukrainian businesses moved across the country 8,345 times this year. The number of relocations has stabilized and even become lower than before the start of the full-scale war. Kyiv remains the most popular region from which and to which businesses are relocating.
This year, 8,345 business relocations from one region to another were recorded in Ukraine. This is almost the same as last year and even 10% less than in 2021. In total, 7,988 companies relocated within Ukraine during this period. It is worth noting that some businesses managed to relocate several times.
Companies operating in the trade sector are the most likely to relocate: in fact, this is every third business among all those that have moved across the country. Businesses in the construction (6%), agriculture (5%), and real estate (5%) sectors also relocate frequently.
Most businesses move to and from Kyiv. The main directions of business relocation remain routes between Kyiv and the regions. The most popular moves were from the capital to the Kyiv region (494 companies), to the Dnipropetrovsk region (379), and in the opposite direction: from the Kyiv region to the capital (378). 358 companies moved from Kyiv to the Kharkiv region, while 336 moved from the Dnipropetrovsk region to the capital.
It is worth noting that Kharkiv region is generally in the lead this year: more businesses moved to the frontline region than left it: +374 companies this year. The picture is similar in Zaporizhzhia (+276), Lviv (+161), Zakarpattia (+83), and Kyiv (+77) regions. In contrast, the capital has seen the opposite trend: 657 more companies left than arrived. Next in terms of negative balance are Dnipropetrovsk region (-102), Donetsk (-97), Volyn (-83), and Poltava (-62).
Overall, the largest number of businesses left the capital — 2,909 companies, or 36% of the total. Among other donor regions, Dnipropetrovsk (824 companies), Kyiv (770), Odesa (507), and Lviv (451) are worth noting.
At the same time, Kyiv remains the main destination for businesses relocating, with 2,252 companies choosing it as their new place of work. It is followed by Kyiv region (847), Kharkiv region (742), Dnipropetrovsk region (722), and Lviv region (613).
Three companies included in this year’s Open Data Index also managed to change their legal address. Among them is OPERCOM, a company operating in the restaurant and hotel sector, with an income of UAH 1.4 billion last year. The company moved from Kyiv to Zaporizhzhia region and is currently in the process of filing for bankruptcy.
The medical laboratory Eskulab, with revenues of UAH 942.4 million, returned to the Lviv region in February after a short stay in the capital. The insurance company ASKO DS, which had revenues of UAH 83.9 million last year, moved from the Donetsk region to Kyiv in August.
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/business-relocation-2025
JSC OTP BANK plans to continue active lending to corporate business next year, in particular, to increase the volume of financing for renewable energy. This was stated by Alla Biniashvili, Member of the Management Board of OTP Bank responsible for corporate business development, during the event “Global Outlook: Strategic Momentum”.
“What, in our opinion, will be the driver in 2026? Of course, renewable energy. It is already financed mostly by state-owned banks, but all other institutions also prioritize financing energy security and renewable energy. And we at OTP Bank expect a significant increase in its share in our portfolio and in the portfolios of other banks next year,” said A. Biniashvili.
According to her, the banking sector is characterized by a high level of liquidity, and banks are determined to continue to finance businesses. In 2025, the top 3 lending areas include agriculture, food industry, and trade, both wholesale and retail. Financial institutions support Ukrainian companies by competing for customers and offering them optimal rates and conditions. “They do this, they successfully lend. But banks also finance companies. When we look at the balance sheets of banking institutions, we see that liabilities, i.e. deposits and account balances, are twice as high as assets. The reason for this is uncertainty: most companies are afraid to invest in projects because of the war and the risks associated with it. However, we are growing, and the banking sector is developing. If we talk about OTP Bank, we have grown by 35% in hryvnia over six months, i.e. plus UAH 6 billion to the beginning of the year,” emphasized the Board member.
According to Alla Biniashvili, despite all the challenges, including the geopolitical situation, inflation, deterioration of the trade balance due to the need for imports for energy security, lower harvests, and staff shortages, financial institutions are optimistic about the future. “We shouldn’t give up, because when the war is over, everyone will lend, and it will be a boom. And now we are working based on the situation we have and doing everything to effectively support business and the country’s economy,” emphasized the member of the Board of OTP Bank.
The event “Global Outlook: Strategic Momentum” event was attended by Andriy Pyshnyi, Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, Olena Voloshyna, Country Manager of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Ukraine, and representatives of the business community. The participants focused on the following key areas: financial stability and the role of business in Ukraine’s recovery. They discussed the practical contribution of companies to rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, as well as the innovations and support needed to overcome current challenges. In total, the event was attended by about 350 guests, with another 200 joining the conference online.
