The EU Council announced on Wednesday that the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) of the European Union has agreed on the Council’s negotiating mandate to extend for another year the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian and Moldovan exports to the EU.
“By agreeing to renew these measures, we demonstrate our continued support for Ukraine and Moldova, while protecting the internal market from excessive increases in imports of certain sensitive agricultural products,” commented Aja Labib, Foreign Minister of Belgium, which holds the EU Council presidency, on the agreement of the Permanent Representatives.
The Council communiqué explains that the two legislative proposals that member states will discuss with the European Parliament are aimed at extending the suspension of import duties and quotas for another year: from June 6, 2024 to June 5, 2025 for Ukraine and from July 25, 2024 to July 24, 2025 for Moldova – provided that “the protection of sensitive agricultural products is simultaneously enhanced by strengthening safeguards” already included in the relevant existing regulations.
Brussels explains that “by renewing these measures, the EU will continue to support and stimulate trade flows from Ukraine to the EU and the rest of the world, and will contribute to creating conditions for the expansion of economic and trade relations leading to the gradual integration of Ukraine into the EU’s internal structure.”
As for Moldova, these measures are intended to “help preserve the conditions necessary to enable Moldova to continue its trade relations with the EU and with the rest of the world through the EU,” the EU Council said.
In January of this year, Ukraine reduced exports of titanium ores and concentrate in physical terms by 2.4 times compared to the same period last year – to 865 tons from 2,066 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service on Friday, exports of titanium ore and concentrate decreased by 57.3% to $1.414 million in monetary terms.
The main exports were to Turkey (67.26% of supplies in monetary terms), the UAE (14.50%) and the Czech Republic (5.16%).
Ukraine did not import these products in the period under review.
As reported, in 2023, Ukraine reduced exports of titanium ores in physical terms by 96.4% compared to 2022, to 11,648 thousand tons, and revenue by 85.1%, to $19.426 million. At the same time, the main exports were to Turkey (38.21% of supplies in monetary terms), Japan (16.53%) and India (6.12%).
During this period, Ukraine imported 1 ton of such ore from the Netherlands for $2 thousand.
In 2022, Ukraine decreased exports of titanium ore by 41.8% year-on-year to 322.143 thousand tons, and by 19.6% in monetary terms to $130.144 million. The main exports were made to the Czech Republic (47.91% of supplies in monetary terms), the United States (11.94%) and Romania (9.75%).
In 2022, Ukraine imported 196 tons of similar products from Senegal (70.41%) and Turkey (29.59%) for $115 thousand.
In Ukraine, titanium ores are currently mined mainly by the United Mining and Chemical Company (UMCC), which manages Vilnohirsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant (VGMK, Dnipro region) and Irshansk Mining and Metallurgical Plant (Irshansk, Dnipro region). ) and Irshansk Mining and Processing Plant (IGOK, Zhytomyr region), as well as Mezhirichinsky GOK and Valky Ilmenite (both based in Irshansk, Zhytomyr region). In addition, Velta (Dnipro) has built a mining and processing plant at Birzulivske deposit with a capacity of 240 thousand tons of ilmenite concentrate per year.
In addition, Velta, a Dnipro-based industrial and commercial company, has built a mining and processing plant at the Birzulivske deposit with an annual capacity of 240 thousand tons of ilmenite concentrate.
Since August 2023, the sea corridor created by the Ukrainian Navy has exported almost 22 million tons of products, and the volume can be increased by another quarter, said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine, following his visits to the Black Sea ports.
“More than 22 million tons of cargo of various types have been exported since the start of the temporary corridor through the Black Sea, which is known worldwide as the Ukrainian Corridor. More than 700 vessels have used it since August,” Kubrakov wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
The deputy prime minister noted that transshipment is carried out from three ports of Greater Odesa – Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi. On Saturday night, they were once again attacked by Russian drones. “Unfortunately, we have damaged the transshipment infrastructure and destroyed grain,” Kubrakov said.
According to him, since July 18 (the last day of the grain corridor), Russian attacks on Ukrainian seaports have damaged almost 200 port infrastructure facilities and injured more than 26 civilians.
“At the same time, port workers are recovering quite quickly. Today I saw it with my own eyes. Moreover, they are increasing transshipment volumes every day. This, as well as the prospects for their operation, were discussed at meetings in three key ports of Ukraine,” the Vice Prime Minister said.
He noted that more than 22 million tons in six months is not the limit. Modernization of both the ports themselves and the accompanying infrastructure, such as the road and rail networks, with proper security, will increase the volume by at least a quarter, Kubrakov assured. He announced on February 3 that exports via the new sea corridor had reached almost 20 million tons. According to him, 661 vessels left the ports then.
Exports from Ukraine to JYSK’s distribution centers increased by 60% in 2023, Iryna Romanchuk, Purchasing Manager of the chain, told Interfax-Ukraine.
“Over the past 12 months, exports from Ukraine to JYSK distribution centers have increased by 60% compared to the same period. However, this figure could have been higher if the borders had not been blocked at the end of 2023, which extended the delivery time from a week to a month, sometimes up to two, which had a very negative impact on all Ukrainian exporters,” Romanchuk said.
The expert clarified that due to the high cost of transportation to European countries, upholstered furniture made in Ukraine is losing its competitiveness, so now mostly cabinet furniture is exported. In addition, JYSK also buys blankets, pillows and household goods in Ukraine.
“At the beginning of 2022, some manufacturers located in the east of the country were unable to resume operations quickly due to a disruption in the supply chain of both components and finished goods. Therefore, we were forced to stop working with these companies. Today, our main suppliers are located in the central and western parts of the country,” said Romanchuk.
As an example of increasing the network’s work with Ukrainian manufacturers, she cited the furniture manufacturer Akord-Import (Khmelnytsky), with whom JYSK expanded cooperation in 2023 both by transferring the production of some furniture series from Europe to Ukraine and by expanding the range with new items. In total, this manufacturer shipped more than 1200 truckloads of finished furniture to JYSK’s European distribution centers in 2023.
JYSK is a part of the family-owned Lars Larsen Group with more than 3.2 thousand stores in 48 countries. Currently, there is an online store jysk.ua and 91 classic format stores in Ukraine, and in 2024 their number will reach 100. JYSK has more than 800 employees in the country.
JYSK’s revenue in the financial year 2022/23 amounted to EUR 5.2 billion.
Since August 2023, the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, created by the Ukrainian Navy, has exported almost 20 million tons of products, including 14.3 million tons of agricultural products, the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure reported, citing data from Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov.
“During the six months of the Ukrainian corridor’s operation, 661 vessels exported more than 20 million tons of cargo to 32 countries,” the Ministry said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
In January, 6.3 million tons were exported from the ports of Greater Odesa, almost equal to the pre-war level, the report says.
Another 104 ships are expected to arrive, which should export more than 3 million tons of cargo.
Earlier it was reported that exports through the Ukrainian sea corridor reached 15 million tons. Exports via the new Ukrainian corridor amounted to 6.08 million tons in September-November: 0.28 million tons in September, 2 million tons in October, and 3.8 million tons in November. The Ministry had predicted that in December exports could reach 5 million tons, but according to Kubrakov, in December they were close to 7 million tons.
It was noted that in November, the number of vessels increased to 110 from 52 in October and 5 in September, and the total for the three months was 167.
In the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), which operated earlier, the peak ship passages were 176-180 per month in September-October 2022, and exports were 3.8-4.2 million tons per month.