Exports of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU countries grew by 34.3% in January-July 2019 year-over-year, to $4.1 billion, former acting Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine Olha Trofimtseva has said. “The export of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU for the seven months of 2019 increased 34.3% (or $1.04 billion), to $4.1 billion compared to the same period in 2018,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
The main products in the export structure to the EU are cereals – $1.8 billion, vegetable oils – $921.9 million, oilseeds – $385.4 million, bagasse and other food waste – $345.5 million, poultry – $117.3 million, fruits, nuts and zest – $78.6 million.
The share of the Netherlands in the trade between Ukraine and the EU countries was 18%, Spain’s – 13.5%, Poland’s – 13.4%, Germany’s – 11.1%, and Italy’s – 10.6%.
Trofimtseva said that as of September 2, 2019, Ukraine had fully used the EU tariff import quotas for honey, sugar, barley groats and flour, processed starch, preserved tomatoes, grape and apple juices, corn and wheat. The quota was used for butter by 48%, and for processed milk products – by 33.3%.
Ukraine, Poland and the United States on Saturday, August 31, signed an agreement on cooperation in the gas sector, National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksandr Danilyuk said.
“At a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, which preceded the signing of the Memorandum, we discussed the importance of diversifying the risks dictated by dependence on Russian gas supplies, both for Ukraine and Poland. One of the steps to ensure energy independence of our state will be the supply of liquefied gas through Poland, “he wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday night.
Danyliuk considers the signing of the memorandum historically important for Ukraine.
“A historic day. Another step towards diversifying gas supplies to Ukraine,” Danyliuk said.
A meeting of the Ukrainian-Polish intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation will be held in the near future, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. “Poland is already our second largest trading partner in the EU, but the potential of this cooperation has no borders,” he said at a joint press conference with President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday.
Zelensky hopes for an active dialogue between the governments of the two countries in the framework of the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation.
He expressed hope that the next meeting of the commission will take place in the near future.
The United States expects a meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Warsaw, where a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II will be held on September 1, Assistant to the U.S. President for National Security Affairs John Bolton has said.
He expressed his expectations about the meeting of the two presidents in Warsaw and said they would work on its organization in the coming days.
Poland is ready to launch a gas pipeline with a transmission capacity of 2 billion cubic meters, which will connect the Polish gas transmission system (GTS) with the Ukrainian one in Hermanowice (Poland), the zn.ua (Mirror Weekly) ezine reported on Thursday.
“We are ready to launch the gas pipeline, if necessary, which will connect the Polish system with the Ukrainian one in Hermanowice. Its capacity is 2 billion cubic meters. This is not much, but when Ukrainians need urgent help, we are ready to provide it,” the publication said, quoting a representative of the Polish government for the strategic energy infrastructure Piotr Naimski.
He also said that Poland is waiting for a decision from the Ukrainian side.
T.B.Fruit, one of the largest processors of fruits and berries in Ukraine, has begun the construction of the eighth plant of the group for processing fruits and berries in Brzostowiec (Poland), investment in which will amount to EUR45 million, founder of T.B.Fruit Taras Barschovsky has said. “The capacity for apple processing will be 300,000 tonnes, strawberries 10,000 tonnes, cherries 6,000 tonnes, raspberries 12,000 tonnes, currants some 7,000 tonnes per year. Production start is scheduled for July 2020,” he told the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
According to Barschovsky, investments in the plant are estimated at EUR45 million.
T.B.Fruit is a vertically integrated international group of companies with a closed production cycle (growing raw materials, processing, transportation).
The group of companies was established in July 2011 after the consolidation of all the assets of businessman Taras Barschovsky.
