The Tea&Food division of Biosphere Corporation, represented by the Graff and Ritz Barton brands, increased its production and sales by 2.5 times compared to the previous year, according to the company’s press service.
According to the report, sales volume increased from 1.4 million packs in 2024 to 3.5 million packs in 2025. Monthly turnover at the end of the year exceeded UAH 35 million, and the Graff brand entered the top 4 tea brands in Ukraine in terms of sales volume in retail chains. The company’s share of the domestic tea market is estimated at 5%.
“The growth of our tea business was driven by a strong marketing strategy and the development of relationships with major retail chains. The next step in our development is international expansion,” said Andriy Zdesenko, founder and CEO of Biosphere Corporation.
CupSoul CEO Iryna Broslavtseva emphasized the brand’s readiness to compete in foreign markets.
“The quality of our tea has been recognized not only by Ukrainian consumers, but also by numerous awards, including international ones. This proves that we are creating a European-quality product in Ukraine that can be competitive in foreign markets,” the press service quoted Broslavtseva as saying.
CupSoul, which is responsible for the tea division within the corporation, added that at the end of 2025, it began exporting Graff tea to Spain. During 2026, it plans to enter the Canadian market and further expand in Europe, particularly in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, where the trademark has already been registered.
Despite a rocket attack on the production complex in Dnipro in the spring of 2025, which damaged the workshop and destroyed raw material stocks, the company resumed production within a month. Currently, the tea range includes 124 items. Over the past year, the brand has received a number of professional awards, including the Red Dot Award for packaging design and bronze awards at the Effie Awards Ukraine.
Biosphere Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of household and personal hygiene products in Ukraine and one of the leaders in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Its production facilities consist of six modern factories in Ukraine and two in Europe. Its portfolio of 25 brands includes Freken BOK, Smile, Novita, Lady Cotton, PRO service, Alufix, Vortex, Graff, and others, with about 2,000 SKUs. According to the release, Biosphere products are represented in more than 25 countries and over 100 retail chains, including METRO, Auchan, Spar, Billa, Carrefour, Albert, and Hofer.
The founder and CEO of the corporation is Andriy Zdesenko.
The Royal Canadian Mint has issued a new collectible coin made of pure gold in the shape of a Ukrainian pysanka, dedicated to the traditions of Ukrainian folk art. This was reported by the Royal Canadian Mint.
“This exquisite pure gold pysanka vividly combines art and heritage. It embodies the spring celebration of elegance and harmony,” the coin’s description reads.
The new coin is the eighth gold “pysanka” in the Canadian Mint’s series. This time, its design is decorated with a rose ornament, a symbol of beauty and rebirth.
The coin was designed by artist Steven Rosati and Dave Melnichuk, a Canadian of Ukrainian descent who is a member of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada in Toronto.
The coin is made of 58.5 grams of pure gold and has a face value of 250 Canadian dollars. Only about 350 such coins have been minted, making them a collector’s item for numismatists.
The release of a series of coins in the shape of pysanka eggs is a tribute to Ukrainian cultural heritage, which is widely represented in Canada, home to one of the largest Ukrainian diasporas in the world.
As reported, banknotes with denominations of 1, 2, 5, and 10 hryvnia from 2003-2007 will be replaced by corresponding coins in circulation on March 2, 2026, and will no longer be legal tender (NBU).
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced additional economic assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 2.5 billion Canadian dollars, which will help unblock funding from the IMF, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
“Today we are announcing additional economic assistance to Ukraine. Economic assistance in the amount of $2.5 billion. This will help unlock funding from the IMF, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to start this recovery process,” Carney said at the beginning of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In turn, Zelensky thanked Carney for his help and stressed the need to stop the war.
“And for this, we need two things: pressure on Russia and sufficiently strong support for Ukraine,” the president said.
He said he plans to discuss strengthening air defense with Carney.
“In recent weeks, we have made good progress in diplomacy, but we cannot live under the illusion that this allows us to have less air defense. It doesn’t work with Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
Canada has recognized the State of Palestine and offered to help build a peaceful future with Israel, according to CBC.
Canada officially recognizes the State of Palestine and is doing so alongside international partners to keep the two-state solution alive, according to a statement released Sunday morning by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office.
As of September 2025, approximately 147 of the 193 UN member states have officially recognized Palestine as a state.
Canada’s economy contracted by 1.6% year-on-year in the second quarter, according to the country’s statistics agency. Analysts polled by Trading Economics had expected a more moderate decline of 0.6%. Compared to the previous quarter, Canadian GDP fell by 0.4%.
According to revised data, in the first quarter, the Canadian economy fell by 2% year-on-year but rose by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter. Canadian exports fell by 7.5% in April-June, while imports fell by 1.3%.
Meanwhile, consumer spending rose by 1.1% and government spending by 1.8%.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical center made a video analysis of the prospects for the Ukrainian and global economies. For more details, see the video — https://youtu.be/kQsH3lUvMKo?si=F4IOLdLuVbYmEh5P
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Trudeau announced on Friday that the Canadian authorities are waiving a number of tariffs imposed in response to US tariffs on some US imports, according to The Globe and Mail.
“In accordance with our commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), I am announcing today that the Canadian government will take measures similar to those taken earlier by the US and will remove tariffs on all US goods covered by the agreement,” the prime minister said.
However, Carnie clarified that Canada will maintain tariffs on US imports of steel, aluminum, and automobiles, and Ottawa will work intensively with Washington on this issue. Carney noted that following his conversation with US President Donald Trump this week, the two sides will engage in more active discussions on “challenges in strategic sectors” and on increasing cooperation in trade, investment, and security.
Carney also believes that Canada is making progress in trade negotiations with the US. “Canada currently has the best trade agreement with the US, and although it is different from what it was before, it is still better than any other country’s,” the prime minister said.
On August 1, Trump signed an executive order raising tariffs on Canada from 25% to 35%. The statement emphasized that goods covered by the preferential tariff regime under the USMCA remain exempt from the new tariffs.
In turn, The Globe and Mail reminds us that Ottawa is seeking an agreement that would reduce or eliminate tariffs on a number of Canadian goods. In July, Carnie acknowledged that Canada would probably not be able to convince Trump to cancel all tariffs.
At the same time, Canada implemented three rounds of retaliatory measures against the US. In the first round, it imposed 25% tariffs on US products worth $30 billion, including motorcycles and orange juice. The second round included 25% tariffs on another $30 billion worth of products, including metal products and consumer goods. The third round included 25% tariffs on cars, except for companies that have production facilities in Canada.
However, the publication notes that Canada subsequently softened the impact of the tariffs by approving certain exemptions, including for US-produced raw materials and components used in Canadian manufacturing.
