Energy imports to Ukraine in 2021-2022
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
The Hungarian Agriculture Ministry on 19 April expanded the list of Ukrainian agricultural products banned for import to 25.
According to Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy, quoted by the Hirado.hu daily, the measures were introduced for an interim period and will allow for meaningful and long-term EU measures, a review of the full duty-free nature of Ukrainian goods and the work of solidarity corridors.
Nagy explained that the ban applies to cereals, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, vegetable oil, honey and some types of meat, and is valid until June 30, 2023.
At the same time Hungary does not prohibit the transit of these products through its territory.
Transit traffic is still allowed in Hungary, but the competent authorities will seal the shipments at the border and then monitor them with electronic devices and patrols. Transit procedures for affected products will be checked throughout the country.
The minister added that carriers who violate the rules could be fined. The fine can reach the full value of the cargo.
As a reminder, Bulgaria imposed a temporary ban on food imports from Ukraine, with the exception of transit goods.
In recent days, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia banned import of Ukrainian agricultural products, in Romania there are calls for this due to the harm to local farmers due to lower prices of Ukrainian products.
Poland on the night of April 20 to 21 resumes transit of Ukrainian agricultural products under new rules.
Bulgaria has imposed a temporary ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, except for goods that are in transit, Acting Prime Minister Galab Donev said.
“The main reason is that last year, contrary to the idea of the so-called “solidarity corridors,” significant amounts of food remained in the country and the main production and trade chains were disrupted. If this trend persists and even intensifies, which is quite possible after the introduction of similar bans from other countries, it could have very serious consequences for Bulgarian businesses,” bnr.bg quoted Donev as saying at Wednesday’s government meeting.
According to the acting prime minister, the government is forced to take this measure because “responsible European authorities are still considering an adequate response to the changed circumstances to which the solidarity corridors have led.”
Donev expressed hope that Brussels would hear the positions of EU member states – Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia – and reconsider its own. “Bulgaria remains in solidarity with Ukraine, but the bankruptcy of Bulgarian agricultural producers will not help this cause,” the prime minister stressed.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the Bulgarian government will decide on the duration of the temporary ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine.
Poland on April 15, after the congress of farmers, made a unilateral decision to temporarily halt imports of any agricultural products from Ukraine until June 30, 2023, despite the fact that on July 7, a bilateral agreement was reached with Ukraine to temporarily suspend exports of only four crops – wheat, corn, canola and sunflower, while transit was kept, but with tightened conditions, which the parties planned to agree upon quickly.
Similar decisions were then taken by Hungary and Slovakia.
On the night of April 20, Poland resumes the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products, but will apply a number of control mechanisms.
Ukraine in January-March this year, Ukraine reduced imports of aluminum ores and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 99.98% compared to the same period last year – up to 202 tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), during this period, imports of bauxite in monetary terms decreased by 99.6% – to $164 thousand.
At the same time, imports were mainly from Guinea (100% of supplies in money terms).
Ukraine did not re-export bauxite in 1Q2023, like in 1Q2022.
As reported, Ukraine in 2022 decreased the import of aluminum ore and concentrate (bauxite) in volume terms by 81.5% compared to the previous year – up to 945.396 tons. Bauxite imports in monetary terms decreased by 79.6% to $48.166 million. Imports were mainly from Guinea (58.90% of supplies in monetary terms), Brazil (27.19%) and Ghana (7.48%).
Bauxite is an aluminum ore used as a raw material for the production of alumina, and from it, aluminum. They are also used as fluxes in steel industry.
Bauxite is imported into Ukraine by the Nikolaev Alumina Refinery (NGR), which before the war was affiliated with the United Company (UC) Russian Aluminum (RusAl, RF). Bauxite is used to produce alumina.
“RusAl in Ukraine also previously owned a stake in the Zaporozhye Aluminum Plant (ZALK), which stopped producing primary aluminum and alumina.
Ukraine did not export coke in January-March this year, as it did in December last year, whereas in January-March 2022 it exported 2.205 thousand tons.
According to the statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), Ukraine imported 12.245 thousand tons of coke and semi-coke in January-March 2023, which is 94.7% less than in January-March 2022.
In monetary terms, imports fell by 94.8% to $6.051 million.
Imports came mainly from Poland (76.85% of supplies in money terms), Hungary (13.68%) and Colombia (9.47%).
As earlier reported, in 2022, Ukraine reduced the export of coke and semi-coke in volume terms by 98% compared with the previous year – up to 3.856 tons, in monetary terms by 97.6% – to $1.011 million. The main export was carried out in Hungary (42.63% of supplies in monetary terms), Georgia (37.69%) and Turkey (17.41%).
Ukraine imported 359.192 thousand tons of coke and semi-coke in 2022, down 54.5% compared to 2021. In monetary terms, imports decreased by 50.3% to $174.499 million. Imports were mainly from Russia (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 found themselves in territories temporarily outside Ukrainian control.
The total supply of chilled and frozen pig meat in March 2023 from the EU was almost 67% lower than last year, falling to 503 tonnes, the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders has reported.
In monetary terms, Ukraine imported $949,000 worth of pork in March, the data of the State Customs Service was cited by the industry association.
According to its analysts, this is the lowest monthly figure since 2018.
“During March, the average price of pork by slaughter weight in the EU was about $2.54/kg. The price of pork imported to Ukraine fell to $1.88/kg, which is 5.7% lower than in February this year,” the association said, explaining the decline in import activity by higher prices in EU countries compared to prices for domestic products.
“Even the absence of import duties has not made European pork more price-competitive compared to domestic pork. As long as this status quo persists, external supplies of pig meat will remain inactive,” the industry association predicted.
In general, in the first quarter of 2023, pork imports amounted to 3,160 tonnes, which is more than 75% less than in the first quarter of 2022, the analysts said.
