In the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022, Ukraine increased exports of soybean oil by 36.6% – up to 78.091 thousand tons, in monetary terms rose by 1.6% – to $ 77.689 million.
Export of soybean oil in 2022 was 237.025 thousand tons, which is 1.7% less than in 202211.
In monetary terms, exports rose by 3.2% to $304.685 million.
Ukraine’s export of butter increased by 50.8% to 2.568 thousand tons, in monetary terms – by 44.4%, to $13.891 million. Imports of this products fell by 3.8 times, to 182 tons, in monetary terms – 3.3 times, to $ 1.362 million.
Most of the butter was exported to Moldova (27.97% of supplies in monetary terms), Azerbaijan (19.10%) and Israel (13.55%). Imports came from Germany (48.94%), France (17.09%) and Poland (12.84%).
Ukraine exported through seaports of Odessa region by 7% more agricultural products than a week earlier, its volume was 702.3 thousand tons. The increase in shipments was achieved due to the tonnage of ships, said the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation of Business (UCAB).
“The number of ships loaded this week was only 14 units, which is two vessels less than the previous week. In fact, increase of shipments was achieved due to increase of tonnage of ships,” – analysts noted.
According to their information, corn (56%), wheat (18%) and sunflower oil cake (14%) took the major part in the export structure of Ukrainian agricultural products through this channel.
Ukrainian products went to Asian countries (China, Bangladesh, India and others), Europe (Spain, Portugal and Italy) and Africa (Egypt).
At the same time, the overall situation with the operation of the “grain corridor” continues to deteriorate. The Russian side suspended the inspection of ships on Tuesday, April 11 and Monday, April 17, 2023.
In the next three days, inspections of ships in the “grain corridor” will resume in accordance with a 50:50 temporary scheme, according to which 50% of inspections will be carried out by ships of the formed line, another 50% – by humanitarian cargoes.
In total, since the beginning of the “grain corridor” from August 1, 2022 to April 16, 2023, Ukraine has exported 28.1 million tons of agricultural products.
Ukrainian sugar producers have asked EU countries to reconsider the sugar export ban on domestic EU markets and resume it taking into account the sugar shortage in Europe, Nazar Mykhailovin, acting head of Ukrtsukor, said.
“Not all countries impose an embargo on Ukrainian products. We need a way through which we can sell exports of sugar. We have to forget about the sea route for some time, but the transit through the EU countries, particularly through Poland and Romania is needed,” he commented to Interfax-Ukraine agency about the situation with the export of Ukrainian sugar to the EU.
According to the industry association, during the period from June 2022 to March 2023 almost 99.9% of Ukrainian sugar was sold on the EU internal market.
The top countries that bought Ukrainian sugar in March 2023 included Romania, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Croatia. Poland, one of the first to ban imports of Ukrainian sugar, bought 8,242 tons of the product from Ukraine, Mikhailovin said.
“Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has lost its sea export corridor, which has become inaccessible for Ukrainian sugar. Accordingly, the export was carried out mainly to European countries.
At the same time Mikhailovin reminded that due to the beginning of the war the EU made a decision, thanks to which and the presence of export potential Ukraine has the ability to export sugar to the EU domestic markets.
In the sugar beet sugar production season of the 2022 harvest, the factories produced 1.330 million tons of products, which fully met the needs of the domestic market and export potential, the industry association said.
“In the 2022/2023 marketing year, the export potential will depend on the area sown under sugar beet, weather conditions and yields in both Ukraine and Europe,” Mikhailovin said.
Ukrainian companies in January-March this year increased imports of copper and copper products in value terms by 45.1% compared to the same period last year – up to $ 28.511 million.
According to customs statistics, released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Monday, the export of copper and copper products for the period decreased by 31.2% – to $21.822 million.
In March, imported copper at $ 11.045 million, exported – 7.672 million.
In addition, in January-March 2023, Ukraine reduced the imports of nickel and its products by 88.8% compared to the same period in 2022 – to $3.176 million (in March – $2.020 million), aluminum and its products – by 0.7%, to $82.110 million (in March – $28.530 million). It reduced the imports of lead and lead products by 89.4% to $216 thousand (in March – $12 thousand), imports of tin and tin products by 8% to $648 thousand (in March – $104 thousand) and zinc and zinc products by 51% to $7.698 million (in March – $3.581 million).
Exports of aluminum and aluminum products in the first three months of 2023 decreased by 6.6% to $23.103 million (in March – $8.732 million) compared to the same period last year, while lead and lead products decreased by 33.6% to $4.436 million (in March – $1.412 million) and nickel and nickel products – $92 thousand (in March – none) compared to $875 thousand in January-March 2022.
Zinc exports for the three months of this year amounted to $46 thousand (in March – $22 thousand), while in January-March 2022 it was $892 thousand. Tin exports and products totaled $48 thousand (in March – $29 thousand) against $53 thousand in the same period last year.
As reported, the Ukrainian enterprises in 2022, imports of copper and copper products in value terms reduced by 64.3% compared to the previous year – up to $65.370 million, their exports decreased by 56.3% – to $90.245 million.
In addition, Ukraine has reduced imports of nickel and its products in 2022 by 49.9% compared to 2021 – up to $59.754 million, aluminum and its products – by 33.4% to $ 340.398 million, while the imports of lead and its products decreased by 66.6% – to $ 2.839 million.
Imports of tin and tin products fell by 33.5% to $3.312 million, while imports of zinc and zinc products decreased by 58.7% to $38.690 million.
Exports of aluminum and aluminum products for 2022 were down 42.7% from 2021, to $96.972 million, lead and lead products were down 68.7%, to $11.970 million, and nickel and nickel products were down 73.9%, to $1.268 million.
Zinc exports for 2022 were $1.331 million, up from $550,000 in 2021. Tin and products exports for 2022 were $424,000, up from $346,000 the previous year.
Ukraine in January-March this year increased the export of pig iron in physical terms by 0.2% compared to the same period last year – up to 449.511 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), exports of pig iron in monetary terms amounted to $166.174 million for the period.
In this case, exports were carried out mainly to Poland (56.83% of supplies in monetary terms), Spain (18.61%) and Italy (11.75%).
In the first quarter of the year, Ukraine imported 10 tons of pig iron worth $22 thousand from Germany.
As reported, Ukraine in 2022, Ukraine reduced the export of pig iron in volume terms by 59% compared to the previous year – to 1 million 325.275 thousand tons, in monetary terms by 61.1% – to $638.774 million.
In 2022, Ukraine imported 40 tons of cast iron worth $23 thousand, while in 2021 – 185 tons of cast iron worth $226 thousand.
Exports were mainly to the United States (38.47% of supplies in monetary terms), Poland (32.91%) and Turkey (8.12%), and imports were from Germany (100%).
