The international reserves of Ukraine as of September 1, 2022, according to preliminary data, amounted to $25 billion 436 million (in equivalent), which is 13.6% more than at the beginning of June ($22.757 billion), according to data from the National Bank of Ukraine, published in Tuesday.
“As of September 1, 2022, Ukraine’s international reserves, according to preliminary data, amounted to $ 25.436 billion. In August, they grew by 13.6% due to the receipt of a significant amount of international assistance against the backdrop of the country’s moderate debt payments in foreign currency and smaller interventions by the National Bank to sell foreign currency “, the controller explained.
As reported, in June, the fall in reserves amounted to 1.6%, or $371.5 million.
The regulator clarified that net international reserves in August increased by 26.6%, or $3 billion 342 million, to $15.917 billion, while in July they fell by 2.9%, or $377 million (to $12.575 billion).
According to the National Bank, in August the dynamics of international reserves was affected by assistance from foreign partners and operations to manage public debt. In particular, foreign exchange receipts to the accounts of the Ukrainian government with the NBU in August amounted to $4.788 billion, including from the United States – $3 billion, from the EU – $1 billion, from Canada – $349.3 million, from Italy – $205.6 million, from the placement domestic government bonds – $99.6 million, from other creditors – $87.4 million.
The total volume of board payments for servicing and repaying state debt in foreign currency amounted to $171.9 million, including $165.4 million directed to repay debt to international creditors, $6.5 million – to service government bonds.
In addition, Ukraine transferred $221.1 million to the IMF.
International reserves were also affected by NBU operations on the interbank market. In particular, they sold $1.641 billion on the foreign exchange market and bought $311.7 million into reserves, due to which the balance of interventions was negative and amounted to $1.33 billion.
It is indicated that the sale of foreign currency by the Central Bank decreased due to the adjustment of the official exchange rate to UAH 36.57/$.
In addition, the reserves were affected by the revaluation of financial instruments, in particular, their decrease by $16.4 million.
“The current volume of international reserves provides financing for four months of future imports, which is enough to meet the obligations of Ukraine and the current operations of the government and the National Bank,” the bank said.
As reported, at the beginning of 2022, Ukraine’s international reserves amounted to $30.941 billion, net international reserves (NIR) – $20.767 billion.
Ukraine’s international reserves currently stand at $27.4 billion, representatives of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) said at a meeting with the European Business Association (EBA) and the American Chamber of Commerce on April 15.
“The country’s foreign exchange reserves amount to $27.4 billion, which became possible thanks to the support of international partners – the IMF, the EU (which provided the first tranche of 600 million euros), the EBRD, etc. The total amount of assistance received from international partners is $3.8 billion “, – is noted in the release of the EBA following the meeting.
Earlier, the NBU reported that Ukraine’s international reserves as of April 1, 2022 amounted to $28.1 billion, which is 2% more than at the beginning of March ($27.5 billion).
Representatives of the National Bank at the meeting also pointed out that in general, since the beginning of the war, the volume of net sales of foreign currency by the NBU amounted to $ 2 billion, and recently there has been a tendency for currency supply to prevail over demand for it.
As one of the meeting participants specified to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, Deputy Head of the National Bank Yuriy Heletiy said that the supply of foreign currency in April began to exceed the demand for it in the non-cash market from legal entities. According to him, the growth was caused by the gradual resumption of the work of enterprises of the mining and metallurgical complex, companies from the IT services sector.
Representatives of the National Bank also indicated that they do not yet see the need to introduce a mandatory sale of foreign currency.
Speaking about possible future steps to remove currency restrictions, the regulator admitted the possibility of certain relaxations in areas related to trade finance: settlements on export-import guarantees, letters of credit, while the return of other foreign loans will remain prohibited.
The international reserves of Ukraine as of September 1, 2021, according to preliminary data, amounted to $31.614 billion (in equivalent), which is 9.2% more than at the beginning of August this year ($28.951 billion) according to the data of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
“As of September 1, 2021, Ukraine’s international reserves, according to preliminary data, amounted to $31.614 billion (in equivalent). This volume of reserves is a record over the past nine years … In August, the reserves increased by 9.2% due to, first of all, the receipt of funds in the amount of 1.928 billion special drawing rights (SDR) within the general allocation from the IMF,” the report says.
As the National Bank notes, the dynamics of the August reserves was affected by the operations of managing the state debt: the total volume of payments for servicing and repaying the state and state-guaranteed debt in foreign currency amounted to $ 188 million (in equivalent).
It is specified that $ 33.7 million was spent on servicing and redeeming external bonds, $ 18.2 million – on servicing and redeeming government domestic loan bonds, the rest – for fulfilling other government obligations in foreign currency.
At the same time, in August, foreign exchange receipts in favor of the government amounted to $ 8.8 million (in equivalent).
The dynamics of reserves was also influenced by the operations of the NBU in the interbank market. In particular, the central bank replenished its reserves by $ 348.3 million due to the fact that for most of August supply on the market prevailed over demand.
In addition, the dynamics of the indicator was influenced by the revaluation of financial instruments: last month their value decreased by $ 31.6 million (in equivalent), according to the National Bank.
The regulator noted as of September 1, 2021 the volume of international reserves covers 4.4 months of future imports – this is enough to fulfill the obligations of Ukraine, the current operations of the government and the NBU.
In addition, the NBU clarified that Ukraine’s net international reserves in August increased by $ 2.836 billion, or 15.3%, to $ 21.364 billion.
After falling to $27.84 billion in May, Ukraine’s international reserves returned to the level of the end of April and amounted to $28 billion in the middle of June, Head of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine Bohdan Danylyshyn has said.
“The total net balance of foreign exchange interventions by the NBU since the beginning of 2021 has increased to $655 million, which, taking into account the government’s borrowings in foreign currency, has made it possible to expand the NBU’s international reserves to $28 billion,” he wrote on Facebook.
Danylyshyn said that in the interbank FX market during the last week there was a significant (about $43 million on average per day) prevalence of foreign currency supply over demand, which led to the strengthening of the hryvnia exchange rate by 0.8%, to UAH 27.00/$1 and allowed National Bank to buy back $375 million in a week.
The head of the NBU Council said that high prices for the main goods of Ukrainian exports – agricultural products, iron ore and steel, as well as an increase in the demand of nonresidents on government securities of Ukraine contributed to the increase in the supply of foreign currency by 18.7% by the first week of the month, with the demand decreasing by 2.7%.
As reported, at the beginning of this year, Ukraine’s international reserves amounted to $29.113 billion.
Ukraine’s international reserves increased by early May 2021, according to preliminary data, to $28 billion (equivalent), which is 3.6% more than in early April 2021 ($27.035 billion), the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has said on Friday.
“As of May 1, 2021, Ukraine’s international reserves, according to preliminary data, amounted to $28 billion (equivalent). In April, they increased by 3.6%, taking into account foreign exchange receipts in favor of the government and the revaluation of financial instruments,” the NBU said.
Ukraine’s international reserves as of February 1, 2021, according to preliminary data, fell to $28.821 billion (equivalent), which is $279 million less than at the beginning of January this year, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has said.
“In January, they [the reserves] decreased by 1.1%, primarily due to the repayment of external and internal obligations of the state. At the same time, the intervention of the National Bank in the foreign exchange market and foreign exchange receipts in favor of the government partially counterbalanced the impact of payments for servicing the state debt,” the report says.
