Ukraine in 2018 used 11 out of the 40 quotas for duty-free exports under the free trade area (FTA) agreement with the European Union, while export quotas for processed products from oil, sugar syrups, and an additional quota for exports of mushrooms were not used at all, according to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.
Ukraine has not yet received permission to export red meat, therefore its companies also did not use the quota for pork, lamb, and beef. The remaining quotas were used partially, the ministry said.
In 2018, the country fully used quotas for exports of corn, honey, corn flour and granules, grape and apple juice, processed tomatoes, processed malt and starch, soft wheat, wheat flour and granules, barley grits and starch flour, and the major quota for exports of poultry and semi-finished products from it.
In 2018, the main quota for exports of mushrooms was used by 0.03%, the quota for exports of cigarettes by 0.01%, food products by 0.9%, processed products from dairy cream by 4.2%, ethanol by 10.4%, processed products from sugar by 13.9%, milk, yoghurt and cream by 15%, barley by 16.6%, dairy products by 22.1%, milk powder by 24.1%, and oats by 36.5%.
In addition, Ukraine has used the basic quota for exports of eggs by 74.6%, and an additional one by 48.3%.
Ukraine since the beginning of the 2018/2019 marketing year (MY, July-June) and as of March 20, 2019 had exported 35.605 million tonnes of grain and leguminous plants, which is 20.8% more than on the same date of the previous MY.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, farmers exported 18.74 million tonnes of corn, 12.95 million tonnes of wheat, and 3.3 million tonnes of barley.
On that date, some 192,200 tonnes of flour had been also exported.
As reported, with reference to the ministry, Ukraine exported 39.4 million tonnes of grain in the 2017/2018 MY.
Exports of goods from Ukraine in January 2019 from January 2018 grew by 9.2%, to $4.066 billion, while imports increased by a mere 0.7%, to $4.045 billion, the State Statistics Service has reported. According to its data, as a result, the surplus of foreign trade in goods in January of this year amounted to $20.9 million against the deficit of $294.1 million in January 2018.
The State Statistics Service said that in January 2019 compared to December 2018 the seasonally adjusted export volume rose by 6.9%, to $4.373 billion, while imports by 3.8%, to $4.839 billion.
The seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance in January 2019 was negative and amounted to $465.9 million, which is better than in December 2018 ($571.5 million).
The service said that foreign trade operations were conducted with partners from 193 countries of the world.
According to customs statistics, published by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, coke and semi-coke exports were down 60% in monetary terms, to $504,000.
The majority of deliveries were made to Romania (66.27% in monetary terms), Russia (16.47%) and Moldova (16.47%).
Imports of coke and semi-coke fell by 35.5%, to 168,673 tonnes in January and February 2019, worth $51.463 million (34.7% down). The goods were mainly imported from Russia (89.55% in monetary terms), Poland (8.42%) and the Czech Republic (2.03%).
As reported, Ukraine cut coke and semi-coke exports by 88.6% year-over-year to 25,578 tonnes in 2018. Imports of coke and semi-coke fell by 45.8%, to 839,757 tonnes in 2018, worth $251.724 million (44% down).
Due to hostilities in the eastern part of Ukraine some coalmines and coking plants were left in the Ukrainian government uncontrolled territories.
Ukraine in January and February 2019 increased revenue from exports of electricity by 30.6% or $9.168 million compared with January and February 2018, to $64.847 million, including $34.093 million in February alone.
Hungary bought electricity worth $37.961 million, Poland $14.254 million, Moldova $9.441 million, other countries $3.191 million, Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service has said.
Over the period under review, Ukraine imported electricity worth $0.204 million, in particular, electricity imports from the Russian Federation were estimated at $0.196 million, from Belarus at $0.007 million, from Moldova at $0.001 million.
As reported, Ukraine in 2018 exported electricity worth $331.942 million. Hungary bought electricity worth $189.958 million, Poland $78.763 million, Moldova $53.144 million, and other countries $10.078 million. Exports of Ukrainian electricity in monetary terms in 2018 increased by 40.9% compared to 2017.
Ukraine increased electricity exports by 19.3% or 999.4 million kWh in 2018, to 6.166 billion kWh.
According to the forecast, Ukraine in 2019 plans to export 6.42 billion kWh of electricity, and this is slightly more than in 2018 (6.2 billion kWh).
Ukraine in January-February 2019 increased exports of poultry by 43% compared to the same period of 2018, to 63,600 tonnes, the State Fiscal Service has reported.
At the same time, according to its data, in monetary terms exports of these products increased by 28%, to $88.2 million.
Imports of poultry in the first two months of the year increased by 5.8%, to 21,500 tonnes, in monetary terms decreased slightly to $8.6 million.
According to the service, in January-February 2019 pork exports decreased by 68.8%, to 114 tonnes. This product was delivered for $230,000, which is 3.7 times less than the figure for the same period last year.
During this period, import of pork to Ukraine increased by 4.4 times, to 4,400 tonnes, in monetary terms it amounted to $8 million, which is 5 times more than in January-February 2018.
