The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine expects that in 2021 the volume of transit of goods through the territory of Ukraine will recover to the level of 2019.
“We are waiting for the resumption, growth of transit. We would definitely recover to the level of 2019. But in order for it to grow, we need the economies of countries that send goods to each other develop,” Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Vladyslav Krykliy said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
The minister also said that the pandemic has fundamentally changed communications between countries.
“Probably, the greatest positive thing from the coronavirus, so to speak, is that we switched to more dynamic communications, including on the creation of digital transport corridors. If a year ago the issue of digital corridors, uniform transport rules and a single document was considered a prospect, which we must strive for, now digitalization is a necessity,” he said.
According to Krykliy, this is the only way the countries participating in the East-Europe transit traffic will be able to build alternative transport corridors that will develop through a digital tool, information exchange and through the interaction of all operators participating in these intermodal transportation, in order to eventually become competitive with Russia.
Transport enterprises of Ukraine (excluding the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as part of the JFO zone) in January-August 2020 reduced transportation of goods by 13.4% compared to the same period in 2019, to 382.2 million tonnes, the State Statistics Service has reported.
According to the report, the freight turnover of carriers for the specified period decreased by 17.1%, to 185.7 billion tonne-kilometers.
According to statistics, for the eight months of this year, 196.7 million tonnes of cargo were transported by rail in domestic traffic and for export, which is 5.3% less than in January-August 2019. Some 119.4 million tonnes (23.5% less) were transported by road, 3.3 million tonnes (12.4% less) by water, 62.7 million tonnes (15% less) by pipeline, and 100,000 tonnes by air (10.7% less).
The deficit of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in January-July 2020 decreased by 57.3% compared to January-July 2019, to $2.120 billion from $ 4.968 billion, the State Statistics Service has reported.
According to it, export of goods from Ukraine for the reporting period compared to the same period in 2019 decreased by 7.3%, to $ 26.630 billion, import by 14.7%, to $28.750 billion.
The State Statistics Service clarifies that in July compared to June 2020, the seasonally adjusted volume of exports rose by 3.6%, to $3.660 billion, imports by 2%, to $4.373 billion.
The seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance in July 2020 was also negative and amounted to $713.2 million, which is better than in the previous month ($751.2 million). The coefficient of coverage of import by export in January-July of this year amounted to 0.93 (in January-July 2019 some 0.85).
The State Statistics Service specified that foreign trade operations were carried out with partners from 221 countries of the world.
Top 20 countries Ukraine has posted the highest surplus of trade in goods in Jan-May of 2020 (thsd USD)
Retail goods turnover in Ukraine in March 2020 slowed to 6.1% year-over-year in comparable prices, the State Statistics Service has reported.
In January-March 2020 compared with January-March 2019, retail trade turnover decreased 10.6%, while in March 2020 compared to February 2020 it increased by 4.4%.
The largest increase in the retail turnover of enterprises (legal entities and private entrepreneurs) in March 2020 compared with March 2019 was recorded in Kyiv (by 15.3%), Dnipropetrovsk (by 15%), Kharkiv (by 14.9%), Zaporizhia (by 14.8%), Kirovohrad (by 13.9%), Poltava (by 12.8%), Volyn (by 12.6%) and Odesa (by 12.4%) regions.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during a telephone conversation with Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu have agreed on the protection of Ukrainian citizens in Romania during traffic restrictions and uninterrupted transit of Ukrainian goods through Romanian territory, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said. “I appeal to you in every possible way to support the citizens of Ukraine who are in Romania at a time when the transport links were practically closed, and I confirm that you can count on our appropriate attitude towards the citizens of Romania in Ukraine during this difficult period,” the press service said on Wednesday, quoting Kuleba.
Aurescu confirmed that Romania has always supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as Ukraine’s integration into the EU and NATO. He also assured Ukraine of Romania’s support in international institutions and organizations, of which Romania is a member.
In addition, Kuleba drew the attention of the Romanian foreign minister to the inadmissibility of Russia’s attempts to ease sanctions against the backdrop of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic.
“I would also like to draw your attention to the calls of Russia to ease sanctions under the pretext of a COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic instability in the world. These calls are inappropriate and unacceptable. It is very important that no one can use the current difficult situation to achieve political goals. The sanctions were introduced over the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic has nothing to do with them,” the Ukrainian minister said.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Aurescu assured Kuleba that he agrees with this approach to the issue of keeping sanctions against the Russian Federation. He also invited the Foreign Minister of Ukraine to pay a visit to Romania.
