Ukraine in January-April this year reduced imports of aluminum ores and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 99.98% compared to the same period last year – to 210 tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), during this period, imports of bauxite in monetary terms decreased by 99.64% – to $170 thousand.
Imports were mainly from China (100% of supplies in monetary terms).
During this period of this year, as well as in January-April 2022, Ukraine did not re-export bauxite.
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 in January-April this year decreased the export of coke and semi-coke in physical terms by 73.6% compared to the same period last year to 668 tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), Ukraine did not export coke in January-March this year, as it did in December last year. All exports for the four months of 2023 came in April. In monetary terms, it fell by 77.6%, to $170 thousand.
Ukraine imported 32,168 thousand tons of coke and semi-coke in January-April 2023, down 86.2% from the same period in 2022. In monetary terms, imports fell by 86.2% to $16.095 million.
Exports were to Moldova (100% of supplies in monetary terms) and imports were mainly from Poland (91.29%), Hungary (5.14%) and Colombia (3.56%).
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%).
Due to the war, a number of mines and coke plants are located in territories temporarily outside Ukrainian control.
Ukraine in January-April of this year reduced the import of nickel ores and concentrates in physical terms by 97.5% compared to the same period last year – up to 7.238 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), in monetary terms, imports of nickel ores decreased by 98% to $257,000 during the period.
Imports were from Guatemala (100% of shipments in monetary terms).
Ukraine did not export or re-export this product in January-April, both this year and last year.
As it was reported, in 2022, Ukraine reduced the imports of nickel ores and concentrates by 71.9% in physical terms compared to the previous year – up to 346.719 thousand tons. In monetary terms, imports of nickel ores decreased by 73.8% to $15.428 million. Imports were from Guatemala (100% of deliveries in monetary terms).
For 2022, like in 2021, Ukraine did not export or re-export this product.
Ukraine imports nickel ore from Pobuzhsky Ferronickel Plant (PFK, part of Solway Group).
PFC processes about 1.2 million tons of ore per year.
Import changes in % to previous period in 2021-2023
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Import of goods in jan-feb 2023 on most important positions and in relation to Jan-Feb 2022
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Total supplies of fresh, chilled and frozen pork meat in April 2023 were 16% lower than in March and amounted to 424 tonnes, the association Pig Breeders of Ukraine said.
In monetary terms, Ukraine imported $1.03 million worth of pork in April, the industry association cited data from the State Customs Service on Wednesday.
According to analysts, the April figure was the lowest since 2018.
“In contrast to previous years, low import activity has created an atypical lever of support for domestic prices in the pork market, because raw materials from abroad are not yet creating competition to domestic ones,” the association noted.
Analysts explain this trend by the continuing increase in pork prices in the EU, which has lasted since January and, although it slowed down a little in April, but did not stop.
“It is more difficult for domestic importers to find affordable commodity items for the Ukrainian market,” – stated in the association, noting that the average cost of imported pork in April rose to $ 2.4 per kg compared to $ 1.88 per kg in March.
Overall, in January-April 2023 Ukraine received 3.58 thousand tons of chilled and frozen pork meat, which is 4.5 times less than during the same period in 2022.
