Business news from Ukraine

METINVEST CUTS SALES IN EUROPE, CIS BUT RAISES SUPPLIES TO SOUTHEAST ASIA

Metinvest B.V. (the Netherlands), the parent company of the international vertically integrated mining and metallurgical group Metinvest, in 2020 reduced sales of products in Europe by 21% compared to the previous year, to $ 2.851 billion.
According to the audited consolidated financial results for 2020, sales in Europe fell mainly due lower sales prices for steel products. This was also affected by a decrease in sales of semi-finished products by 31% and iron ore products by 48%. As a result, the region’s share in total revenue decreased by 7 percentage points (p.p.) compared to the previous year, to 27%.
In 2020, revenue in Ukraine decreased by 7%, to $ 2.939 billion, mainly due to a decrease in the average price for metal products and coke, as well as a 26% reduction in pellet sales. The decrease in revenues was partially offset by an increase in the supply of long products by 23%, coke by 14% and iron ore concentrate by 43%. In general, the share of Ukraine in the consolidated revenue decreased by 1 p.p. compared to 2019, to 28%.
Revenue in the Middle East and North Africa region rose 9%, to $ 1.8 billion, mainly driven by an increase in slab (2.5 times) and flat products (12%) shipments. As a result, the region’s share in the consolidated revenue increased by 2 p.p., to 17%.
Revenue in Southeast Asia rose 56%, to $ 1.467 billion thanks to the resumption of sales by Metinvest to China amid strong demand in the country. During the reporting period, the group sold 862,000 tonnes of semi-finished products and finished metal products in the country. In addition, supplies of iron ore products to China increased 1.7 times. As a result, the market share of the region in total revenue increased by 5 p.p., to 14%.
Revenue in the CIS decreased by 23%, to $ 635 million due to a decrease in sales volumes and sales prices for flat products. The region’s share in the consolidated revenue decreased by 2 p.p., to 6%.

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CORUM GROUP PLANS TO SUPPLY COMPONENTS TO LARGEST MINING COMPANY IN EUROPE

Corum Group (DTEK) plans to complete the supply of 400 cast components for powered supports to the largest mining company in Europe Polska Grupa Górnicza SA (PGG) by the end of March this year, Corum wrote on Facebook.
According to the statement, the first batch under the contract, the cost of which was not disclosed, has already been supplied to the customer. Cast components are produced by Corum Svitlo Shakhtaria plant (Kharkiv).
“These components will cover the Polish partner’s need for missing components for the production of powered roof support sections,” the statement said.
Corum recalls that it has been cooperating with PGG since 2018, and three mines of this company (Sośnica, Piast-Ziemowit and Mysłowice-Wesoła) use more than 400 Corum support components.
Corum Group is part of the energy company DTEK Energy and is the largest manufacturer of mining equipment in Ukraine.
The key clients of the company are 14 largest mining holdings, whose assets include 150 mines and open pits.

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EUROPE EXPECTS FINAL DECISION ON UKRAINIAN TIMBER

The European Commission awaits a final decision on the dispute between Ukraine and the EU on a temporary ban on export of round timber until the end of this year, as follows from the EU’s annual Association Implementation Report.
“Recent draft legal proposals which would introduce local content requirements in public procurement procedures are a cause of concern as they breach the equal treatment and non-discrimination principles of public procurement under the AA, the WTO and the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement,” the report says.
“Regarding trade defense activities, the recent proliferation of safeguard investigations launched by Ukraine have not always been carried out in strict adherence with criteria and standards,” according to the document.
“Following many years of uninterrupted growth favored by the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) established by the AA, bilateral trade in the first eight months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 decreased by around 11% as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU remains by far Ukraine’s biggest trading partner. Regarding Ukraine’s wood export ban, a longstanding bilateral trade-irritant, a bilateral arbitration panel under the AA has been established and a final ruling of the panel is expected still in 2020,” the EC said.
“With regard to the reform of the Ukrainian forest-based sector, including wood harvesting and trade and, in particular, wood legality, Ukraine authorities from the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources committed during a TSD (Trade and Sustainable Development) sub-committee meeting in October 2020, to the need for a separation of functions between the management of resources and control functions and thus a reorganization and distribution of responsibilities between control and inspection on the one hand, and wood harvesting and trade on the other,” the report states.

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UKRTRANSNAFTA INCREASES OIL TRANSIT TO EUROPE

Crude oil transit through Ukraine by pipelines to European countries and Belarus in January-September 2020 increased 5.5% (by 517,200 tonnes) compared to the same period in 2019, to 9.885 million tonnes, according to the data of JSC Ukrtransnafta.
The volume of oil transportation to refineries of Ukraine during this period amounted to 1.911 million tonnes, which is 8.7% (153,600 tonnes) more than in January-September 2019. Including oil transportation along the Odesa-Kremenchuk pipeline amounted to 839,000 tonnes (a rise of 32.2%).
Thus, in the first nine months of this year, the share of transit volume of the total oil transportation (11.796 million tonnes) amounted to 83.8%, the share of pumping to the country’s refineries – 16.2%.
In September 2020, oil transit through Ukraine by pipeline transport decreased 6.7% (by 90,200 tonnes) compared to the same month last year, to 1.255 million tonnes.
Pumping to Ukrainian refineries last month decreased 13.6% (by 32,100 tonnes),to 204,000 tonnes, including transportation of Ukrainian oil amounted to 112,100 tonnes, Azerbaijani oil – 76,800 tonnes, WTI oil – 15,100 tonnes.

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EUROPE READY TO GIVE EUR 1.2 BLN TO UKRAINE, BUT FOR THIS IT NEEDS TO CONSTRUCTIVELY INTERACT WITH IMF

The European Union is ready to provide Ukraine with EUR 1.2 billion of macro-financial assistance, but for this it needs to constructively interact with the International Monetary Fund and fulfill the requirements related to the rule of law, said Josep Borrell, Vice President of the European Commission, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
He said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Tuesday that they are also ready to provide $1.2 billion in macro-financial assistance in order to help solve the problems associated with the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but for this Ukraine needs to constructively interact with the IMF and also fulfill all those requirements that relate to strengthening the rule of law in Ukraine.

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LARGEST DENTAL CLINIC IN EUROPE OPENED IN UKRAINE

Europe’s largest dental clinic Amel Smart Clinic providing a full range of dental services opened in Dnipro, said on Facebook Vadym Yermolayev, the chairman of board of directors of Alef Corporation, has said.
“Yesterday a huge progress was achieved in Dnipro in the development of dentistry and medical tourism in Ukraine. On September 20, the largest dental clinic in Europe with an area of 3,000 square meters opened at 2B Slavy Boulevard in Dnipro. Why is it unique? The patient here can receive the whole range of dental services, from diagnostics to the most complicated maxillofacial operations. The patient has the opportunity to do as many tests, consultations, procedures as possible without leaving the building and with a 99.9% probability being able to solve their problem in one clinic,” he wrote.
According to Yermolayev, Amel Smart Clinic has anesthesiology, rehabilitation, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), pediatry and other departments.
The clinic is a part of Amel Medical Grouр, which produces and sells medical and dental equipment and performs dental practice. According to the state register, the final beneficiaries of LLC Amel Medical Group are Hanna Yermolayev and Serhiy Bashkin.
Yermolayev and Bashkin also own a dental clinic in Dnipro city centre Dental Clinic Dnipro (Amel Dental Clinic). Its income in 2019 increased by 53.3% compared to 2018, to UAH 81.5 million.

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