The volume of capital investments in Ukraine from January through June 2026 increased by 9.9% compared to the same period in 2025—to 307.915 billion UAH, according to the State Statistics Service.
The agency specifies that 39.5% of the total value of capital investments made (or 121.5 billion UAH) was accounted for by industry, while 11.4% (35 billion UAH) went to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
The vast majority of investments were concentrated in tangible assets—94.5% of the total volume. In particular, the largest amounts were invested in machinery, equipment, and inventory (36.1%), engineering structures (22.4%), non-residential buildings (11.4%), and vehicles (10.7%).
According to the State Statistics Service, the main source of funding for capital investments in January–June of this year remains the own funds of enterprises and organizations—75.4% (232.114 billion UAH).
As previously reported, capital investments in Ukraine in 2025 increased by 20.3% compared to 2024, reaching 893.6 billion UAH.
agricultural sector, INDUSTRY, INVESTMENT, State Statistics Service, UKRAINE
Paper and cardboard production by major enterprises in Ukraine’s pulp and paper industry in January–July 2026 fell by 2.9–3% compared to the same period in 2025, despite improved performance in July.
This is according to data from the UkrPapir association.
Paper production alone fell by 8.2% over the seven-month period, while cardboard production fell by 1.2%.
Production of corrugated cardboard boxes fell by 1.6%, while wallpaper production decreased by 6.3%.
At the same time, production of toilet paper rolls increased by 7% compared to January–July of last year.
Production of certain types of sanitary and hygiene products grew even faster. Production of 100% cellulose toilet paper rose by approximately 20.4% over the seven-month period, while production of paper towels in rolls increased by 9.5%.
Notebook production also showed positive growth. Over the seven-month period, it increased by 11%.
Meanwhile, the industry’s largest segment—cardboard and packaging materials—already shifted to significant growth in July. Cardboard output for the month increased by 11.2% year-over-year, including a 16% increase in containerboard.
The total monetary value of commercial output by companies in the industry for January–July increased by 19.3% compared to the same period in 2025.
Thus, while physical production volumes of paper and cardboard for the first seven months remain below last year’s levels, the industry’s revenue is growing significantly faster. At the same time, July statistics point to a recovery in the production of cardboard and certain categories of consumer paper products.
Among the largest enterprises providing statistics to the association are the Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill, the Trypillya Packaging Plant, the Kokhavyn Paper Mill, “VGP” (TM “Ruta”), “Poninkivska KPF-Ukraine,” and the Lviv-based “Cardboard and Paper Company.”
In July 2026, Ukrainian pulp and paper companies increased paper and cardboard production by 5.2% compared to July of last year, reaching 55,300 metric tons, according to data from the UkrPapir association.
Compared to June of this year, production rose by 5.3%.
The main driver was cardboard production, which increased by 11.2% year-over-year to 43,560 metric tons. In particular, the output of packaging cardboard, including paper for corrugating, rose by 16% to 36,360 metric tons.
At the same time, paper production in July fell by 12.5% compared to July 2025, to 11,740 metric tons.
The bulk of this was base paper for sanitary and hygiene products—10,620 metric tons, which is 9.2% less than a year earlier. Production of writing and printing paper nearly halved, falling to 64 metric tons.
Production of corrugated cardboard boxes totaled 50.06 million square meters, which is 2.5% less than in July of last year.
Despite mixed trends in individual product categories, the industry continued to grow in monetary terms. The value of commercial output from enterprises that submitted data to the association reached 3.056 billion UAH in July, an increase of 28.8% year-over-year and 3.3% compared to June.
The “UkrPapir” statistics include, in particular, the Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill, the Trypillya Packaging Plant, the Kokhavyn Paper Mill, “VGP” (TM “Ruta”), “Poninkivska KPF-Ukraine,” and the Lviv-based “Cardboard and Paper Company.” The association does not publish figures for individual enterprises due to wartime risks.
According to Experts.news, Ukrainian companies significantly increased their production of notebooks, toilet paper, and wallpaper in July 2026, according to data from the UkrPapir Association of Pulp and Paper Industry Enterprises.
Notebook production reached 28.36 million units, which is 34.5% more than in July 2025. Compared to June of this year, output increased by a factor of 4.4.
Production of toilet paper rolls rose by 9.8% year-over-year, reaching 52.48 million rolls.
At the same time, production of 100% cellulose toilet paper reached 23.68 million rolls, an increase of nearly 23% compared to July of last year.
The wallpaper market also continued its recovery. In July, Ukrainian companies produced 1.63 million standard pieces of wallpaper, which is 12.8% more than a year earlier and 7.5% more than in June.
In this segment, the association has statistics from the largest manufacturer—the company “Slavyanski Wallpaper—KFTP.”
Production of paper towels in rolls also increased by 1.6% year-over-year—to 5.14 million rolls. At the same time, production of 100% cellulose table napkins fell by more than half—to 1.5 million packs.
Overall, the volume of commercial output by companies in the industry reached 3.06 billion UAH in July, which is 28.8% more than in July 2025.
Thus, in the pulp and paper industry, the most notable growth in July was seen not only in packaging board but also in certain consumer paper products.
Original source: the “UkrPapir” Association.
The Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine has decided to provide a total of 56 million hryvnias in state support to the “ART PACK INDUSTRIAL” industrial park in the Khmelnytskyi region and the “KRONOSPAN RIVNE” industrial park in the Rivne region, the ministry announced on August 21.
The “ART PACK INDUSTRIAL” industrial park will receive 9.699 million UAH to construct access roads to the park’s territory. An additional 46.305 million UAH will be allocated to “KRONOSPAN RIVNE” for the development of energy infrastructure.
“Government incentives are a practical tool that enables the creation of industrial infrastructure, attracts investment, and fosters the development of the manufacturing sector,” said Vitaliy Kindrativ, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine. According to him, this support will allow the industrial parks in the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne regions to launch new production facilities more quickly.
Following the new decision, four industrial parks have already received state support since the beginning of 2026 to implement four projects totaling approximately 152 million hryvnias. In late May, “SMART TECH INDUSTRY” in the Poltava region and “Sparrow Park Lviv” became the first recipients this year, receiving over 96.5 million hryvnias. Of this amount, 5.5 million UAH was allocated for the construction of gas and water supply networks in the Poltava industrial park, and another 91 million UAH was allocated for the restoration of infrastructure in the Lviv industrial park that was damaged by a rocket strike.
Government funding for industrial parks is provided on a co-financing basis. Typically, the state covers up to 50% of the project cost, while for de-occupied and frontline territories, as well as for the restoration of infrastructure damaged by hostilities, the share of state support can reach 80%. The maximum amount of funding is up to 150 million hryvnias per industrial park.
Recipients of the funds are required to commission at least 5,000 square meters of industrial real estate within three years and attract at least two participants—industrial enterprises—to the park. The Ministry of Economy has extended the deadline for submitting applications for state incentives in 2026 until August 31.
The “ART PACK INDUSTRIAL” industrial park was included in the state register on December 17, 2025. It is located within the Khmelnytskyi city community, covers 10.22 hectares, and was established for a term of 50 years. The park’s primary focus is stated as the production of paper and paper products. In April 2026, “ART PAK SERVICE” LLC became the managing company.
“KRONOSPAN RIVNE” operates in the village of Horodok in the Rivne District and occupies approximately 85 hectares. The park was entered into the registry in July 2021. Its main areas of focus are the woodworking and furniture industries, as well as warehousing. The initial concept calls for the creation of approximately 1,100 jobs.
For “KRONOSPAN RIVNE,” the current funding is not the first instance of state support. In 2025, the park received an additional 55.3 million UAH for the construction of infrastructure for a cogeneration plant. According to the Rivne Regional State Administration, Kronospan has invested over 560 million euros in production in the region over the past few years, and the industrial park is viewed as a core platform for the development of a furniture cluster.
According to the Ministry of Economy, there are currently 123 registered industrial parks in Ukraine. As of the end of 2025, 37 industrial enterprises had been built or were under construction on their territories, and the total volume of attracted investments exceeded 45 billion UAH.
The 2026 state budget allocates 1 billion UAH for the development of industrial infrastructure in industrial parks as part of the “Made in Ukraine” policy to support Ukrainian manufacturers.
government support, INDUSTRIAL PARK, INDUSTRY, INFRASTRUCTURE, INVESTMENT
According to Experts.news, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government has presented a package of 34 reforms designed to restore competitiveness to Europe’s largest economy following several years of weak growth, high energy costs, a slowdown in industrial development, and pressure on the export model.
According to Reuters, key measures cover pensions, taxes, the labor market, industrial policy, energy, infrastructure, housing, trade protection, and reducing bureaucracy. The government expects to pass the main elements of the package in parliament by the end of 2026.
One of the central components is tax relief for households amounting to approximately 10 billion euros per year. For a working family with two children, the benefit could exceed 600 euros thanks to increased tax deductions and a flatter tax rate for middle-income earners. This is planned to be partially financed by raising the top income tax rate from 45% to 47% for the highest earners—those earning 280,000 euros or more per year.
They also aim to make the labor market more flexible. Measures include eliminating the option to report sick by phone, requiring a doctor’s note from the first day of illness, extending the duration of fixed-term contracts to 48 months for new employees by 2030, and introducing more flexible severance pay mechanisms for high-earning employees.
The industrial sector is focused on supporting the automotive industry, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, clean technologies, batteries, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. There are also plans to expand the Deutschlandfonds investment mechanism, accelerate the connection of industrial facilities to power grids, and cut the implementation time for grid projects by roughly half.
For Germany, this is an attempt to address several systemic problems at once. In its May forecast, the European Commission noted that after two years of recession and growth of only 0.2% in 2025, the German economy may grow by only 0.6% in 2026 and 0.9% in 2027. Among the reasons cited for this weakness were high energy costs, weak exports, competition from China, tariff risks, and a delay in the recovery of investment.
The package could give Germany new momentum, but it will not be a quick fix. According to economists’ estimates cited by Reuters, provided the reform is fully and swiftly implemented, the long-term economic growth rate could be raised from approximately 0.4% to 0.7% per year. This is an improvement, but not a return to the old model of strong industrial growth.
The main impact on the German economy could manifest through three channels: a reduction in administrative costs for businesses, an increase in domestic demand driven by tax breaks, and accelerated investment in infrastructure, energy, and technology sectors. But the weak spot remains the same—Germany depends on exports and global industrial supply chains, which are currently under pressure from geopolitics, tariffs, and competition from China.
The consequences will vary for Germany’s major trading partners. In 2025, China once again became Germany’s largest trading partner, with a trade volume of 251.8 billion euros. The United States ranked second with 240.5 billion euros, and the Netherlands ranked third with 209.1 billion euros. At the same time, the U.S. remained the main market for German exports, although shipments of automobiles, trailers, and semi-trailers to the U.S. fell by 17.8%.
For China, Germany’s reforms mean intensified competition in industry, particularly in the electric vehicle, battery, mechanical engineering, and clean tech sectors. Berlin has separately stated its intention to strengthen the EU’s anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures and to consider technology transfer requirements in strategic sectors for non-European investments. This could make German-Chinese economic relations more strained.
For the U.S., the effect is twofold. On the one hand, a stronger Germany means greater demand for American technology, energy, financial services, and industrial equipment. On the other hand, Germany will seek to preserve its own industrial base and reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers in strategic sectors, particularly in semiconductors, batteries, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
For the Netherlands and other EU countries, the reform package is likely to be positive. If German industry and consumption begin to recover, European logistics hubs, component suppliers, machine-building companies, chemical manufacturers, and countries integrated into German production chains will benefit.
The main risks of the reforms are political and time-related. Some of the measures may face resistance from labor unions, the medical community, and regional authorities, and the economic impact will not be immediate. Reuters notes that businesses and economists generally welcomed the package as necessary but emphasized that everything will depend on the speed and quality of its implementation.
Ultimately, the Merz package can be seen as an attempt to reshape the German growth model: less bureaucracy, more investment, greater labor market flexibility, and stronger protection for strategic industries. But Germany will not be able to return to its former role as Europe’s economic engine through this single reform package alone. To do so, it will have to simultaneously address the challenges of high energy costs, demographic shifts, technological lag, weak domestic demand, and dependence on foreign markets.
