In March 2025, dairy farms of all categories of producers produced 556 thousand tons of raw milk, which is 117 thousand tons or 27% more than in February 2025, but 20 thousand tons or 4% less than in March 2024, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP).
The industry association noted that the volume of milk yield in Ukraine in January-March 2025 amounted to 1.44 million tons, which is 53 thousand tons (-4%) less than last year. In March 2025, the share of enterprises in the production of raw milk amounted to 49%, and households – 51%.
According to the report, in March 2025, enterprises produced 272 thousand tons of raw milk, which is 33 thousand tons more (+14%) compared to February 2025 and 16 thousand tons more (+6%) compared to March 2024. In January-March 2025, MTFs produced 771 thousand tons of raw milk, which is 37 thousand tons (+5%) more than in the previous year.
In March 2025, milk yields in private households amounted to 284 thousand tons, which is 84 thousand tons more (+42%) than in February 2025, but 37 thousand tons less (-11%) than in March 2024. In January-March 2025, the private sector produced 676 thousand tons of raw milk, which is 90 thousand tons (-12%) less than in the previous year.
AVM analyst Giorgi Kukhaleishvili emphasized that in the first quarter of 2025, the number of regions where MTFs increased their production of raw milk increased. Khmelnytsky, Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions are among the new leaders in terms of production. However, the increase in milk yields in the industrial sector is not entirely beneficial for the dairy industry amid the unstable situation on the finished dairy products market, the global dairy market, and the unstable dynamics of purchase prices.
“The volume of dairy production in Ukraine is currently outstripping the volume of its sales. The domestic market is experiencing a decline in demand for dairy products amid intensified rocket and bomb attacks by the Russian occupiers on cities with a population of over a million people and the outflow of their residents abroad. At the same time, dairy processing enterprises are striving to help restore demand for dairy products from the population through discounts and promotional offers in retail chains,” the business association explained.
Further increase in cheese imports is also a threat to the development of the industry, at the current rate of imports, by the end of 2025 the share of imported cheese in the Ukrainian market may reach 80%, which will force domestic cheese factories to stop their work and the situation with a surplus of milk may worsen.
The EBA emphasized that the potential threat of foot-and-mouth disease, which has been reported in Hungary and Slovakia, is a challenge for the Ukrainian dairy industry.
“The spread of the disease creates risks of increased culling of infected livestock and the introduction of quarantine restrictions on farms, a ban on the export of dairy products from Ukraine,” the industry association summarized.
Refined copper production in the world in 2025 will increase by about 2.9% to 28.9 million tons, according to the International Copper Study Group (ICSG).
This will be driven by the expansion of production capacity in China and the launch of new facilities in other countries, primarily in Indonesia, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In 2026, copper production is expected to grow by 1.5% to over 30.8 million tons.
Demand for copper this year is expected to increase by 2.4% to 28 million tons. “Given the uncertainty surrounding international trade policy, which is likely to weaken the global economic outlook and negatively impact copper demand, the growth rate estimate has been revised downward from the group’s September forecast, which assumed a 2.7% increase,” the report said.
In 2026, global copper consumption may increase by 1.8% to about 28.5 million tons.
At the same time, demand in China is projected to grow by about 2% in 2025 and 0.8% next year, according to experts.
In 2024, the world recorded a copper surplus of 138 thousand tons. This year, the surplus of the metal on the global market is expected to be about 289 thousand tons, and in 2026 – 209 thousand tons.
When making forecasts, ICSG understands that the situation on the global market can change under the influence of numerous factors, the report says.
The International Copper Study Group, established in 1992, is an intergovernmental organization that serves as a vehicle for international discussion and cooperation on copper-related issues. The ICSG is the only multilateral institution dealing with copper production, consumption and trade. The group consists of 25 countries, including the European Union, Kazakhstan and Russia.
Primary nickel production in the world will increase by 5.9% to 3.735 million tons in 2025, according to the International Nickel Study Group (INSG).
In 2024, it increased by 11.1% to 3.526 million tons.
These estimates do not take into account the possibility of any disruptions in the operation of enterprises, INSG said in a statement.
Indonesia is expected to continue to increase production of various types of nickel products, including nickel pig iron (NPI). In China, nickel production is forecast to grow this year due to higher output of cathode nickel and nickel sulfate, while NPI production is expected to decline further.
In other countries, mainly due to problems with profitability, a number of production facilities have been mothballed, reduced output or are considering one of these options in the future, INSG said.
Growth in the use of nickel in batteries for electric vehicles was weaker than expected, in particular due to competition from other types of batteries (mainly lithium-iron-phosphate), the organization’s analysts say.
Global consumption of primary nickel is expected to increase by 5.7% this year to reach 3.537 million tons. Last year, it increased by 4.8% to 3.347 million tons.
Thus, the global nickel market will remain in surplus. The surplus of the metal in 2023 amounted to 170 thousand tons, in 2024 – 179 thousand tons, and by the end of 2025, production will exceed demand by 198 thousand tons, according to INSG.
INSG is an independent intergovernmental organization founded in 1990 and based in Lisbon, Portugal. The members of the group are nickel producing and consuming countries: Australia, Brazil, Cuba, France, Germany, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
In March 2025, Ukrainian steelmakers reduced steel production by 9.9% compared to the same period in 2024, to 551 thousand tons from 611 thousand tons, and by 3.7% compared to the previous month, when 572 thousand tons were produced.
In the ranking of global producers of these products compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), Ukraine ranked 24th among 69 countries.
According to Worldsteel, in March 2025, half of the top ten countries, except for China, India, Japan, Brazil, and Iran, recorded a decline in steel production compared to March 2024.
The top ten steel producing countries in March are as follows: China – 92.840 million tons (+4.6% compared to March 2014), India – 13.789 million tons (+7%), Japan – 7.207 million tons (+0.2%), the United States – 6.712 million tons (-1.5%), and the Russian Federation – 6.2 million tons (-3.2%), South Korea – 5.008 million tons (-5.3%), Iran – 3.332 million tons (+3.7%), Turkey – 3.130 million tons (-2.8%), Germany – 3.1 million tons (-11.7%) and Brazil – 2.944 million tons (+6.6%).
Overall, in March this year, steel production increased by 2.9% year-on-year to 166.123 million tons.
The top ten steel-producing countries for the first three months of this year are as follows: China – 259.330 million tons (+0.6% compared to January-March 2024), India – 40.123 million tons (+6.8%), Japan – 20.393 million tons (-4.9%), the United States – 19.726 million tons (-0.6%), and the Russian Federation – 17.740 million tons (-3.8%), South Korea – 15.543 million tons (-3.6%), Turkey – 9.257 million tons (-3.4%), Germany – 8.482 million tons (-12.6%), Brazil – 8.477 million tons (+2.8%) and Iran – 7.290 million tons (-12.8%).
In the first quarter of this year, Ukrainian steelmakers increased steel production by 2.7% compared to the same period in 2024, up to 1.733 million tons from 1.687 million tons, ranking the country 23rd.
In January-March 2025, global steel production decreased by 0.4% compared to the same period in 2024 to 468.613 million tons.
As reported, in 2024, the top ten steel producing countries among 71 countries were as follows: China – 1 billion 5.090 million tons (-1.7%), India – 149.587 million tons (+6.3%), Japan – 84.009 million tons (-3.4%), the United States – 79.452 million tons (-2.4%), the Russian Federation – 70.690 million tons (-7%), South Korea – 63, 531 million tons (-4.7%), Germany – 37.234 million tons (+5.2%), Turkey – 36.893 million tons (+9.4%), Brazil – 33.741 million tons (+5.3%) and Iran – 30.952 million tons (+0.8%).
In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 839.449 million tons of steel last year, which is 0.9% less than in 2023.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 7.575 million tons of steel in 2024, up 21.6% from 6.228 million tons in 2023. The country was ranked 20th in 2024.
In 2023, China produced 1 billion 19.080 million tons (at the level of the previous year), India – 140.171 million tons (+11.8%), Japan – 86.996 million tons (-2.5%), the United States – 80.664 million tons (+0.2%), the Russian Federation – 75, 8 million tons (+5.6%), South Korea – 66.676 million tons (+1.3%), Germany – 35.438 million tons (-3.9%), Turkey – 33.714 million tons (-4%), Brazil – 31.869 million tons (-6.5%) and Iran – 31.139 million tons (+1.8%). In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 849.734 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.1% less than in 2022.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 6.228 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.6% lower than in 2022. The country was ranked 22nd in 2023.
In 2022, the top ten steel-producing countries were as follows: China – 1.013 billion tons (-2.1%), India – 124.720 million tons (+5.5%), Japan – 89.235 million tons (-7.4%), the United States – 80.715 million tons (-5.9%), the Russian Federation – 71.5 million tons (-7.2%), South Korea – 65, 865 million tons (-6.5%), Germany – 36.849 million tons (-8.4%), Turkey – 35.134 million tons (-12.9%), Brazil – 33.972 million tons (-5.8%), and Iran – 30.593 million tons (+8%).
Ukraine ranked 23rd in 2022 with 6.263 million tons of steel produced (-70.7%).
In total, 64 countries produced 1 billion 831.467 million tons of steel in 2022, which is 4.3% less than in 2021.
Experts Club has published a study on the dynamics of industrial production in Croatia and its trends in recent years. In the beginning of 2025, industrial production in Croatia shows moderate growth, despite fluctuations in previous months. According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, industrial production increased by 5.4% in February 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year. This is a slowdown compared to January 2025, when growth was 7.6%.
The following industries recorded the highest growth in February 2025.
At the same time, consumer goods production declined:
Monthly trends
Compared to January 2025, industrial production fell 3.9% in February. This is the first decline in the last three months, indicating instability in the industrial sector.
Historical dynamics of industrial production (2000-2024)
Below are the dynamics of industrial production in Croatia for the period from 2000 to 2024:
These data reflect fluctuations in Croatia’s industrial production over the last 25 years, with periods of both growth and decline.
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Company has promptly adapted its production processes to the war conditions, making railways and ports in Romania and Poland the main transportation channels, Metinvest Group CEO Yuriy Ryzhenkov said as quoted by a corporate publication.
He added that after the opening of the sea corridor from Odesa ports, the company began to use this opportunity as well.
Ryzhenkov emphasized that despite the challenges of the war, Metinvest has the status of the largest exporter. Thus, in 2024, the total volume of exports and sales of iron ore raw materials amounted to more than 12 million tons.
“We have fully returned to our operational efficiency improvement program. For example, we have reconfigured business processes to use our own raw materials. And by most indicators – namely technical, technological and production – we have returned to the best results of 2020-2021. We have significantly reduced production costs, and despite the fall in prices in 2024, our results for the first half of the year exceeded those of the first half of 2023,” Ryzhenkov stated.
Today, the company’s assets in Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia and Kamianske continue to operate. In 2024, the group’s production increased in several categories: iron ore by 42%, pig iron by 3%, and steel by 4%.
At the same time, it is emphasized that Metinvest remains a socially responsible business. Over the three years of the war, the company has allocated more than UAH 8.4 billion to help Ukraine, of which UAH 4.4 billion went to support the defenders of Ukraine under the Steel Front project. The main areas of focus include providing the army with equipment, ammunition and machinery, developing tactical medicine and creating defense lines.
In addition to military needs, Metinvest is involved in supporting humanitarian missions, helping hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians affected by the war. About 516,000 civilians have already received support under the Saving Lives initiative. With more than 50,000 active employees, the company ensures decent working conditions and takes care of its employees and their families, providing financial, psychological and other assistance as needed. The company employs more than 1,000 veterans, and it also implements programs for their adaptation to civilian life.
It is noted that last year Metinvest paid almost UAH 20 billion in taxes, making it one of the largest taxpayers in the country.
A separate emphasis is placed on the prospect of post-war recovery. The CEO outlined the company’s main ambition as turning it into one of the world’s leaders in green steel production that meets modern environmental standards. The first step towards this goal is the construction of a green steel plant in Italy. The project will serve as an example for the future modernization of Zaporizhstal and Kametstal.
“We have an $8 billion strategy for the green modernization of Ukrainian enterprises for 7-10 years. We are ready to launch this strategy as soon as the war is over and Ukraine receives security guarantees,” Ryzhenkov said.
Despite the war, Metinvest continues to invest in Ukrainian facilities: in 2024, the total investment reached $670 million. In 2025, the company also plans to invest billions of dollars in the development of production facilities in Kryvyi Rih, Kamianske and Zaporizhzhia.
At the same time, the group is actively preparing for Ukraine’s large-scale recovery after the war. The Group plans to participate in large infrastructure and industrial projects that will not only help rebuild destroyed housing and social infrastructure but also ensure their modernization.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of steel and mining companies. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions, as well as in Europe and the United States.
The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it. Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
