In January-July this year, Ukrainian mining companies increased exports of iron ore in physical terms by 2.15 times compared to the same period last year, to 20 million 803,661 thousand tons.
According to the statistics released by the State Customs Service on Friday, foreign exchange earnings from iron ore exports increased by 76.7% to $1 billion 831.314 million during this period.
Iron ore was exported mainly to China (36.88% of supplies in monetary terms), Slovakia (16.76%) and Poland (16.33%).
In January-July 2024, Ukraine imported iron ore for $208 thousand in the total volume of 771 tons, while in January-July 2023 it imported iron ore for $81 thousand in the total volume of 118 tons. Imports this year were carried out from the Netherlands (33.97%), Poland (30.62%) and Italy (17.22%).
As reported, in 2023, Ukraine decreased exports of iron ore in physical terms by 26% compared to 2022 – to 17 million 753.165 thousand tons, foreign exchange earnings from iron ore exports amounted to $1 billion 766.906 million (down 39.3%). Iron ore was exported mainly to Slovakia (28.39% of supplies in monetary terms), the Czech Republic (19.74%) and Poland (19.56%).
Last year, Ukraine imported iron ore worth $135 thousand in the total amount of 250 tons. During this period, imports were made from Norway (34.81%), Italy (28.89%) and the Netherlands (28.89%). While in 2022, iron ore was imported for $65 thousand in a total volume of 101 tons.
During the 11 months of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor’s operation, 62 million tons of cargo have been transported, including 42 million tons of grain.
“During the 11 months of the corridor’s operation, Ukrainian ports managed to transship more than 62 million tons of cargo, including 42 million tons of grain. In total, we are talking about more than 2.2 thousand vessels. These are incredible figures that once again prove Ukraine is a reliable partner and can ensure the export of goods by sea even in times of war,” Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Serhiy Derkach said on his Facebook page on Tuesday following a meeting with journalists from Kenya, Nigeria, Gambia and South Africa.
He noted that the key topic of conversation was the work of the Ukrainian corridor in the Black Sea and cooperation with the countries of the Global South.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that the functioning of the sea corridor proves that Ukraine has been and remains one of the guarantors of food security in the world.
“It is food security that is the second point of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. Free and safe navigation in the Black and Azov Seas is a prerequisite for the world to receive the necessary food,” Derkach emphasized.
According to him, the meeting also discussed cooperation in various fields. In particular, the work with Morocco on the Road Transport Agreement. The country will be the first in Africa to sign an agreement on road transport.
During the meeting, the issue of “exporting” digital technologies was raised.
“Of course, we are primarily interested in the export of agricultural products, but we are a country that has vast experience in creating digital products. I am convinced that we can share this experience with African countries,” Derkach said.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reported that 60 million tons of cargo had been transported over 11 months of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor’s operation.
Exports of Ukrainian pork increased by 36% in July 2024, while imports decreased by 23.5% compared to June, the Ukrainian Pig Association (UPA) reported, citing data from the State Customs.
“During July, almost 150 tons of pork (UKTZED 0203) were imported to Ukraine, which is 23.5% less than a month earlier. At the same time, the volume of pork exports in the second month of summer amounted to more than 400 tons, exceeding the June figure by more than 36%,” the report says.
According to analysts, pork imports for 7 months of 2024 amounted to 1.78 thousand tons, while exports amounted to 1.64 thousand tons. In currency terms, the difference does not exceed 10%, or $ 0.4 million.
“The average purchase price of pork in July slightly exceeded the June figure, but in general, quotations remain at a fairly low level. On the one hand, this forms an organic entry barrier for imports, on the other hand, it supports the competitiveness of Ukrainian pork in foreign markets,” the experts explained.
According to the USBA, the UAE remains the main foreign market for Ukrainian pork (85.7% of total exports for the period), and its importers are the EU countries (37.8%) and Canada (62.2%).
Astarta Agro-Industrial Holding, the largest sugar producer in Ukraine, supplied 1.26 million tons of agricultural products to foreign markets in the 2023-2024 marketing year, the company’s press service reported on Facebook.
According to the report, the agricultural holding exported 512 thousand tons of corn, 375 thousand tons of wheat, 140 thousand tons of sugar, 125 thousand tons of meal, 43 thousand tons of soybean oil, 45 thousand tons of rapeseed and other agricultural products.
The main consumers of corn were Spain, Egypt, Italy, and Ireland. Spain, Indonesia, Romania, Portugal, and Italy were the main consumers of wheat. Sugar was supplied to the markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Meal and soybean oil were exported to Hungary, Poland, the UAE, Romania, and Saudi Arabia. The main consumers of organic products are Switzerland, the Czech Republic, France, and Germany.
In total, Astarta’s agricultural products were exported to 46 countries, the agricultural holding summarized.
In 2023, Astarta, the largest sugar producer in Ukraine, reduced its net profit by 5.0% to EUR 61.9 million, and its EBITDA decreased by 6.1% to EUR 145.77 million, while revenue increased by 21.3% to EUR 618.93 million.
Astarta CEO Viktor Ivanchik’s family currently owns 40.68% of the company. Fairfax Financial Holdings is also a major shareholder with 29.91%, and another 2.12% of shares belong to the company itself and were previously bought back as part of a buyback.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of October 1, 2023, Credit Agricole Bank ranked 11th in terms of total assets (UAH 100.36 billion) among 63 operating banks in the country, with 141 branches. The bank is fully owned by French Credit Agricole SA.
The Ukrainian Sea Corridor has transported 60 million tons of cargo in 11 months of operation, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported on Facebook.
“60 million tons – the cargo turnover of the ports of Greater Odesa for 11 months of the Ukrainian Corridor,” the USPA said in a statement on Friday.
It is noted that 40.6 million tons of this volume are grain cargoes. They were exported to 46 countries.
“The bulk carrier Manta Hacer with 25.2 thousand tons of Ukrainian humanitarian wheat is moving through the Ukrainian corridor to Yemen. This is another vessel chartered by the UN World Food Program,” the USPA said.
The Administration emphasized that despite the war and the enemy’s insidious shelling of port infrastructure, including hangars for storing agricultural products, Ukraine remains a key player in the issue of global food security. This is especially true for grain exports to Asia and Africa.
Earlier it was reported that during the 10 months of operation of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, cargo exports reached a record high of 55 million tons. In mid-July, it reached 57.55 million tons.
In the 2023-2024 marketing year (MY), Agrotrade exported more than 390 thsd tonnes of grain, up 10% compared to the previous season, the company’s press service reported on its Facebook page.
According to the report, 51.7% of all exports were the company’s own agricultural products, 48.3% were from third-party producers. The main buyers of grain were the EU, North Africa and the Middle East.
“Summarizing the results of the last season, I would like to note that the opening of the Ukrainian grain corridor and its rhythmic operation made our work much easier. It has added predictability, so we can now plan deliveries for a longer period. This allowed us to export more grain than we had forecast. In the new season, we expect that the company’s trade structure will partially return to the pre-war format – sales on EXW and CPT bases will reappear, and forward contracts will increase, as the market situation stabilizes and competition intensifies,” said Andriy But, Director of Foreign Trade Department of Agrotrade Group.
Among the company’s products, corn, wheat, soybeans, and rapeseed were in the highest demand among buyers. In total, in the 2023/24 season, Agrotrade exported grain to 14 countries.
The Agrotrade Group is a vertically integrated holding company with a full agro-industrial cycle (production, processing, storage and trade of agricultural products). It cultivates over 70 thousand hectares of land in Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Its main crops are sunflower, corn, winter wheat, soybeans and rapeseed. It has its own network of elevators with a simultaneous storage capacity of 570 thousand tons.
The group also produces hybrid seeds of corn and sunflower, barley, and winter wheat. In 2014, a seed plant with a capacity of 20 thousand tons of seeds per year was built on the basis of Kolos seed farm (Kharkiv region). In 2018, Agrotrade launched its own brand Agroseeds on the market.
Vsevolod Kozhemiako is the founder and CEO of Agrotrade.
