Canada, which has allocated 1 billion Canadian dollars (about $780 million at the current exchange rate) of financial support to Ukraine in its next budget, remains the only country that intends to use a special account administered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to send this assistance.
“The account allows donors to channel further support to Ukraine securely, through loans or grants, using our fiduciary infrastructure. Canada has a billion in its upcoming budget. I am not aware of any other pledges or commitments at this time. We will keep you posted,” he said. IMF Representative Gerry Rice at a traditional briefing in Washington on Thursday.
When asked about the Fund’s exchange rate advice, in particular the advisability of adjusting the fixed rate policy chosen at the start of the war, the IMF spokesperson said that he “is not aware of any specific advice that we have given regarding the adjustment at this time.”
Rice also said that the Fund remains in very close contact with the Ukrainian authorities, almost daily, in particular, a few days ago there was another conversation between IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
As reported, on February 24, the National Bank suspended the work of the foreign exchange market of Ukraine, except for the sale of foreign currency, and fixed the exchange rate at the official level of that day – UAH 29.2549/$1, which led to the emergence of a “black” market, where in the first days the exchange rate reached 39-40 UAH/$1. Later, the regulator allowed the sale of currency in branches that are under the threat of capture by the invaders, by decision of their leadership.
The NBU made the next liberalization step on April 15, when it granted banks and non-banking financial institutions the right to sell cash currency throughout the country at a rate not higher than “official plus 10%”, but within the volume of the purchased currency. As a result, many banks declared the possibility of selling foreign currency at the maximum possible rate of UAH 32.17-32.18/$1 and at the same time raised the purchase rate closer to the selling rate. However, according to market participants, it is extremely difficult to freely officially buy cash currency. Nevertheless, the “black” market reacted with a slight strengthening of the hryvnia, as a result of which the dollar exchange rate on it was only about 2% higher. Now this difference has increased to about 14%.
Ukraine, at the request of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, will receive 140 tonnes of buckwheat seeds, the vessel with the cargo was sent by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (Canada), Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Yulia Kovaliv wrote on Facebook on Monday.
The seeding rate of buckwheat is 80-100 kg/ha, respectively, Ukraine can sow 1,120-1,400 ha with seeds received from Canada.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, by May 12, Ukraine sowed 12,200 hectares with buckwheat, which is 14.9% of the 81,600 hectares planned for this year. Thus, thanks to assistance from Canada, Ukraine can sow 1.3-1.7% of the area planned for this crop.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced his address and communication with students from leading universities in the US and Canada, as well as higher educational institutions in Ukraine.
According to him, the maximum attention of the world to Ukraine should be maintained, and information about the needs of the Ukrainian state should be present in the news of all countries.
“For greater informational and political support for Ukraine, on Monday I will communicate with students from leading American universities. These are 63 US universities and 2 Canadian universities that bring together hundreds of thousands of students and are a large expert and research community. Their voice will definitely strengthen our capabilities,” Zelensky said in a video message.
At the end of May, the head of state is scheduled to address the students of Stanford University.
Zelensky also announced his plans to communicate with Ukrainian students.
“I am also getting ready to communicate with Ukrainian students from leading universities. In my address to them, I will answer important and complex questions that already exist in our society and are already visible. I expect deep questions from them,” the president said.
The head of state also said that he would continue his appeals to the parliaments of European states. “Our task is the status of a candidate for the EU, and over time, accession to the EU under an accelerated procedure,” he said.
“It is equally important to have the maximum consent of the European countries to strengthen sanctions against Russia. It is for this that I will apply to the Luxembourg parliament in the near future,” he added.
In addition, according to Zelensky, work is underway to expand the geography of speeches before the parliaments of Africa and Asia.
On May 23, the head of state is scheduled to address the forum participants in Davos. “The pre-war reconstruction will be discussed. We are doing our best to collect the support of the world to the maximum,” he summed up.
During the next revision of the duties introduced back in 2001 on hot-rolled carbon and alloy steel sheet and strip from Brazil, China, India and Ukraine, Canada refused to extend the 77% duty on goods from Ukraine.
“The Tribunal reversed its ruling regarding the dumping of such goods exported or originating in Ukraine. The Tribunal found that continuing or resuming the dumping of these goods is unlikely to result in harm,” the Canadian International Trade Terminal said on the website of the Government of Canada.
With regard to products from Brazil, China and India, restrictive measures have been maintained.
“Since August 2001, duties of 77% have been imposed on hot-rolled carbon steel products originating from Ukraine in Canada, which effectively deprived our producers of an economic incentive to export their products to Canada. After 20 years, finally, Ukrainian steel products can again be exported to Canada “, – commented on this decision, Ambassador of Ukraine Yulia Kovaliv on Facebook.
After Canada cancels import duties on Ukrainian goods for a year, Canadian potash fertilizers may become the main ones in the Ukrainian market and thereby replace Belarusian ones, which have not been imported to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s armed aggression.
The possible role of Canada in the Ukrainian market of potash fertilizers was reported by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) on Facebook on Thursday.
The report states that Canada is the world’s largest producer and exporter of potash fertilizers. This country produces about 12 million tonnes of such fertilizers, thus occupying 24% of world production. At the same time, in 2021, Ukraine imported 287,500 tonnes of potash fertilizers, of which 69% came from Belarus, while its own production in the country is practically not developed.
“Therefore, Ukrainian farmers need to look for alternative suppliers, and Canada may become one of them. The abolition of import duties may become an additional factor, as it will increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian agricultural products in the Canadian market. Ukraine will be able to purchase potash fertilizers in Canada, in turn, sending its agricultural products, which are in abundance in the Ukrainian market, by the same transport,” the association said in the statement.
Canada imported 2.8 million tonnes of corn, 1.2 million tonnes of sunflower meal, and 0.5 million tonnes of soybeans in 2021, according to UCAB. It is these positions that Ukraine can supply to the Canadian market through the seaports of the Baltic countries.
The association recalled that before aggression of the Russian Federation, Ukraine had insignificant volumes of export deliveries of agricultural products to Canada, which was due not only to the significant territorial remoteness of this country, but also to the rather high development of the Canadian agro-industrial complex. Thus, during 2021, agricultural products worth $29.3 million were delivered to Canada, of which 49% of export revenue was formed by apple juice, 18% by sunflower oil and 11% by soybeans.
However, with the beginning of military aggression of the Russian Federation with the assistance of Belarus and the blockade of Ukrainian seaports by Russian warships, a number of countries canceled import duties on Ukrainian goods to help the Ukrainian economy. These factors may have an impact on Ukrainian foreign economic activity, including the increase in trade between Ukraine and Canada.
As reported, Canada, following the UK and the EU, would cancel all duties on imports of goods from Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on May 8 after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Ukraine and Canada will return to work on expanding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and complete work on it in the coming weeks, the Ministry of Economy announced following an online meeting between First Deputy Prime Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko and Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion and Small Business Canada Mary Ng.
“During the negotiations, government representatives decided to return to work on expanding the FTA Agreement between Ukraine and Canada and complete developments over the coming weeks,” the ministry said on its website on Sunday.
According to Svyrydenko, Ukraine is counting on Canada’s support in overcoming the food crisis provoked by the blocking of Ukrainian exports through seaports.
She said that an important step towards Ukraine could be the abolition of trade duties on Ukrainian goods by Canada following the EU and the UK.
“This will help exporters increase the volume of exports of products and thereby strengthen the Ukrainian economy and the defense of our state,” Svyrydenko was quoted as saying in the press release of the ministry.
