In 2023, the countries of the European Union imported 163.7 thousand tons of honey for a total of EUR359.3 million, according to the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat).
Exports of honey from the EU countries amounted to only 24.9 thousand tons worth EUR146 million.
Over 10 years, since 2013, imports have increased by 20%, exports – by 14%.
Last year, the main suppliers of honey to the EU were China (60.2 thousand tons, or 37% of all foreign supplies), Ukraine (45.8 thousand tons, 28%), Argentina (20.4 thousand tons, 12%), Mexico (10.7 thousand tons, 7%) and Cuba (4.7 thousand tons, 3%).
The UK became the main importer of honey from the European Union – 4.3 thousand tons. Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United States imported more than 3 thousand tons.
The largest buyer of foreign honey among the EU countries was Germany, which imported 41 thousand tons in 2023. Belgium took the second place (31.4 thousand tons), and Poland was the third (23.3 thousand tons). Spain was the leading exporter (7.1 thou tons).
Ukrainian enterprises in January-April 2024 increased imports of zinc and zinc products – by 59.9%, up to $17.217 mln (in April – $5.357 mln). Exports of zinc for four months of this year amounted to $73 thousand (in April – $29 thousand), while in January-April 2023 it amounted to $48 thousand.
Zinc exports abroad in 2023 amounted to $130 thou. against $1.331 mln in 2022. Zinc exports for 2022 totaled $1.331 million, compared to $550 thousand in 2021. Exports of tin and tin products totaled $424 thousand in 2022, compared to $346 thousand in the previous year.
Zinc is used to protect steel from corrosion, in the production of zinc whitewash, in the metallurgical industry in the production of zinc sheets, and in the manufacture of foundry lead and copper-zinc alloys. It is also used as a material for the negative electrode in chemical current sources.
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Friday, Ukraine reduced imports of lead and lead products by 13.8% – to $406 thousand (in April – $124 thousand), imports of tin and tin products increased by 10.2% – to $887 thousand (in April – $267 thousand). Exports of lead and lead products decreased by 35.3% to $3.537 mln.
As reported, Ukraine in 2023 reduced imports of lead and lead products by 65.2% – to $989 thousand, imports of tin and tin products – by 23% – to $2.728 million. Exports of tin and tin products amounted to $159 thousand against $424 thousand for 2022.
Zinc exports for 2022 totaled $1.331 million, compared to $550 thousand in 2021. Exports of tin and products totaled $424 thousand in 2022, compared to $346 thousand the previous year.
Lead is used to make bullets and shot. It is part of many alloys, such as bearing alloys, printing alloy, tin-lead solder, bronzes and brasses. .
Tin is often used as a protective coating due to these properties. It is the main constituent of solder and babbitts, typographic alloys and bronzes.
Ukrainian enterprises in January-April 2024, according to customs statistics, increased imports of nickel and products by 60.1% compared to the same period of 2023 – up to $8.484 million (in April – $787 thousand million).
Ukraine in 2023 reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 74.2% y-o-y in 2022 – to $15.391 mln. Ukraine in 2022 reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 49.9% y-o-y in 2021 – to $59.754 mln.
The main area of nickel application is metallurgy. It is used in the production of high-alloy stainless steels. By adding nickel to the iron melt, metallurgists obtain strong and ductile alloys that are highly resistant to corrosion and high temperatures.
In January-April this year, Ukrainian enterprises reduced consumption of rolled metal products by 13.89% year-on-year to 1 million 6.6 thousand tons.
According to a press release from Ukrmetallurgprom, 351.6 thousand tons, or 34.93% of the domestic rolled metal consumption market, were imported during this period.
According to Ukrmetallurgprom, in January-April 2024, steel companies produced 1.973 million tonnes of rolled metal products (130.5% compared to the same period in 2023), of which, according to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, about 1.318 million tonnes, or 66.8%, were exported. In January-April 2023, the share of exports amounted to 42.9% (634 thousand tons with a total production of 1.512 million tons of rolled steel).
The share of semi-finished products in export deliveries in January-April 2024 was 45.45%, which is significantly lower than in January-April 2023 (49.37%). The share of flat products in export deliveries in the first four months of 2024 is significantly higher than in January-April 2023 (40.36% and 28.86%, respectively). The share of long products is significantly lower than in January-April 2023 (14.19% in 2024 vs. 21.77% in 2023).
“In the first four months of 2024, the domestic market capacity amounted to 1 million 6.6 thousand tons of rolled steel, of which 351.6 thousand tons, or 34.93%, were imported. In January-April 2023, the domestic market capacity amounted to 1.169 million tons, of which 291 thousand tons, or 24.89%, were imported. Thus, in the first four months of 2024, there was a decrease in the domestic market capacity by 13.89% compared to the first four months of 2023, with a simultaneous increase in the share of the import component by 10.04%,” the press release states.
The structure of imports for the first four months of 2024 is still characterized by a significant dominance of flat products over long products (82.88% and 15.27%, respectively); in January-April 2023, the dominance of flat products over long products was also significant (79.86% and 18.97%, respectively).
According to the State Customs Service, the main export markets for Ukrainian rolled steel products in January-April were the European Union (81.6%), the rest of Europe (5.6%) and South America (4.5%).
Other European countries ranked first among metallurgical importers in the period under review (44.5%), followed by the EU-27 (37.9%) and Asia (16.7%).
As reported, Ukraine’s rolled metal market grew 2.19 times in 2023 compared to 2022, to 3 million 505.6 thousand tons. The company imported 1 million 118.6 thousand tons, or 31.91% of the domestic rolled steel consumption market.
In 2023, Ukrainian steelmakers produced 5.37 million tons of rolled metal products (100.4% compared to 2022), of which, according to the UAVtormet Expert and Scientific Council, about 2.99 million tons, or 55.6%, were exported.
In 2022, the share of exports amounted to 81.7% (4.37 million tons with a total production of 5.35 million tons of rolled metal products).
The share of semi-finished products in export deliveries in 2023 was 40.30%, which is significantly lower than in the same period in 2022 (43.45%). The share of flat products in exports for the year is also significantly higher than a year earlier (40.41% and 36.34%, respectively). At the same time, the share of long products is comparable to the figure for the previous similar reporting period (19.53% in 2023 vs. 20.21% in 2022).
In 2023, the domestic market capacity amounted to 3,505.6 thousand tons of rolled steel, of which 1,118.6 thousand tons, or 31.91%, were imported. In 2022, the domestic market capacity amounted to 1598.6 thousand tons, of which 621.6 thousand tons, or 38.88%, were imported. Thus, in 2023, there was an increase in the domestic market capacity by 119.29% compared to 2022, while the share of the import component decreased by 6.98%.
The structure of imports last year was still characterized by a significant dominance of flat products over long products (76.08% and 23.87%, respectively); in 2022, the dominance of flat products over long products was also significant (68.69% and 30.41%, respectively).
According to UAVtormet, the main export markets for Ukrainian steel products in 2023 were the EU (82%) and the rest of Europe (7.5%).
Among metallurgical importers in 2023, the first place was occupied by other European countries (42.4%), the second by the EU-27 (37.3%), and the third by Asian countries (18.2%).
In January-April this year, Ukraine increased imports of coke and semi-coke in physical terms by 4.86 times compared to the same period last year, up to 156.255 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Friday, coke imports in monetary terms increased 3.5 times to $56.096 million during this period.
In the first four months of the year, the country exported 46 tons of coke worth $16 thousand to Moldova (93.75%) and Latvia (6.25%) (in January and March 2014, there were no exports, in 4 months of 2013, 32.168 thousand tons of coke and semi-coke were exported for $16.095 million).
Imports were carried out mainly from Poland (89.84% of supplies in monetary terms), China (5.72%) and the Czech Republic (3.49%).
As reported, in 2023, Ukraine reduced imports of coke and semi-coke in physical terms by 8.5% compared to 2022 – to 328.697 thousand tons, while imports in monetary terms decreased by 25.8% to $129.472 million.
In 2023, Ukraine exported 3,383 thousand tons of coke, down 12.3% compared to 2022. In monetary terms, it decreased by 22.2% to $787 thousand.
Exports were carried out to Moldova (100% of supplies in monetary terms), while imports were mainly from Poland (88.47%), Colombia (7.72%) and the Czech Republic (3.15%).
In 2022, Ukraine decreased exports of coke and semi-coke in physical terms by 98% compared to the previous year to 3,856 thousand tons, and in monetary terms by 97.6% to $1,011 million. The main exports were made to Hungary (42.63% of supplies in monetary terms), Georgia (37.69%) and Turkey (17.41%).
In 2022, Ukraine imported 359.192 thousand tons of coke and semi-coke, which is 54.5% less than in 2021. In monetary terms, imports decreased by 50.3% to $174.499 million. Imports were carried out mainly from the Russian Federation (43.43% of supplies in monetary terms, before the war), Poland (30.07%) and the Czech Republic (13.15%).
As a result of the war, a number of mines and coke plants are located in the territories temporarily not controlled by Ukraine.
