The total volume of German exports, adjusted for calendar and seasonal factors, fell by 0.6% in July compared to the previous month, to €130.2 billion, according to a report by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Imports decreased by 0.1% to €115.4 billion.
Year-on-year, exports grew by 1.4% and imports by 4.3%.
Exports to the US in July fell by 7.9% compared to June, to their lowest level since December 2021. This is the fourth consecutive month of decline. Shipments to China fell by 7.3%, and to the UK by 3.1%. Exports to European Union countries increased by 2.5%, while exports to Russia fell by 12.4% (to €526.5 million, a drop of 19.8% compared to July 2024).
Imports from EU countries rose by 1.1% last month, and from the UK by 7.8%. Supplies from China fell by 2.4%, from the US by 10%, and from Russia by 43.9% (to €80.7 million, a drop of 40.3% compared to a year earlier).
In January-July, exports from Germany to Russia fell by 6.8% compared to the same period last year, while imports fell by 37.4%.
Germany’s foreign trade surplus fell to €14.7 billion in July from €15.4 billion in June. A year earlier, the surplus was €17.7 billion.
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/nimechchyna-v-lypni-skorotyla-eksport-do-ssha/
Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s leading express delivery service from the Nova Group, has updated its delivery rules to the US due to Washington’s cancellation of the $800 duty-free threshold: the cost of delivery has increased by at least 10% due to the duty applied to goods from Ukraine.
According to a press release from Nova Poshta on Wednesday, if the sender is the payer, customs clearance services are included in the tariff, while if the recipient is the payer, they will have to pay, in addition to 10% of the cost of the shipment, customs brokerage services starting at $25 per shipment upon receipt.
It is noted that the recipient will be sent an email with a link to pay the customs duty and customs brokerage services. Delivery of the shipment will be carried out after payment, and the final amount of customs duty and customs brokerage services will be determined during customs clearance upon delivery in the United States.
The company emphasized that it is important to correctly indicate the country of origin of the goods in the shipment. The 10% duty rate applies only to goods produced in Ukraine. Rates may vary for goods from other countries.
It is also indicated that a technical solution has been developed for Nova Post API users to select the payer of customs duties for the United States.
On the eve of the announcement, Ihor Smelyansky, CEO of Ukrposhta, Nova Poshta’s main competitor, said that his company would also continue commercial mail deliveries to the US after the country introduced a 10% duty on shipments worth up to $800, and delivery rates to the US will increase by an average of $1.5-3.
According to the CEO of Ukrposhta, Ukrainian senders will have an advantage over competitors from most other countries, as the rate for Ukraine is the lowest at 10%, while for EU countries it is 15% and for Switzerland 39%. In addition, most European countries are pausing shipments to the US until the 10% duty collection procedure is settled.
DUTY, NOVA, NOVA POSHTA, USA
In the winter of 2025, Vertex Pharmaceuticals presented the results of the first large-scale study (phase I/II) of zimislecel (formerly VX-880), a stem cell-based drug. This experimental treatment aims to restore the cells of the islets of Langerhans in the liver of patients.
The trial involved 14 patients with severe type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia detection disorders. All participants received a single infusion of zimislecel into the hepatic vein and initial immunosuppressive therapy without glucocorticoids. According to data from one year, 10 out of 12 completely stopped insulin injections, becoming insulin-independent, while the remaining two patients reduced their insulin dose by 92% on average. All participants normalized their HbA1c levels (<7%) and spent more than 70% of their time in the glycemic range of 70-180 mg/dL.
Side effects:
• Neutropenia was observed in 3 patients;
• Two fatalities were recorded: one from cryptococcal meningitis (off-protocol), the other from severe cognitive pathology unrelated to treatment.
The discontinuation of insulin therapy in 83% of participants is a very significant achievement, indicating the possibility of restoring endogenous insulin secretion. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) called the data “unprecedented” after three stages of presentation at the ADA-2025 conference in Chicago.
However, it should be noted that the study was small (12–14 participants) and short (12 months); large-scale control experience is needed. Data on long-term efficacy, safety, and commercial affordability are not yet known.
Phase III has now begun, with approximately 50 patients expected to participate. The next results are expected at the end of the year, after which the FDA application process will begin.
The drug is positioned as a breakthrough “functional remission” for a group of patients with severe diabetes and a tendency to hypoglycemic events. If its effectiveness is fully confirmed, it will be a global revolution in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
The US Treasury Department has again granted a postponement until July 29 on the application of sanctions against Serbia’s NIS, according to a statement from the company. Energy Minister Dubravka Jedovic-Handanovic, quoted by Serbian media, said that “sanctions against NIS have been officially postponed, as confirmed in writing last night.”
Serbia has previously received several postponements of sanctions against NIS from the US, most recently until June 27.
As reported, on January 10, the US imposed sanctions against two Russian oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, as well as their subsidiaries. The SDN List also includes Gazprom Neft’s Serbian subsidiary, NIS. The US then postponed the imposition of sanctions against NIS.
At the end of February, Gazprom Neft transferred 5.15% of NIS shares to Gazprom. Gazprom Neft now owns 44.85% of NIS shares, while Gazprom owns 11.3%. Another 29.87% of NIS shares are owned by Serbia, with the remainder held by minority shareholders.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reported that the US is demanding the complete withdrawal of Russian capital from NIS. He recalled that in 2008, the Serbian government sold control of NIS to Russia’s Gazprom Neft, and over the past years, the Russian company and NIS have contributed to significant revenues for the Serbian budget, as well as the development of many projects.
NIS is the only company in Serbia engaged in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, and it also owns a large oil refinery in the city of Pančevo. The company dominates the Serbian petroleum products market, and the NIS network of gas stations is present in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Romania, with a total of more than 400 stations.
The Velta Group, which has assets for the extraction of titanium-bearing ores in Novomyrhorod (Kirovohrad region), has received its third patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its innovative Velta Ti Process technology.
According to a press release on Monday, the new patent confirms the possibility of obtaining high-quality titanium dioxide (TiO₂), a key material for the further production of titanium powder using the Velta Ti Process technology, as well as commercial products based on titanium, iron, calcium, and nitrogen.
It should be noted that Velta Holding US Inc. has obtained three Ukrainian and three US patents since 2020.
Velta Holding US Inc. is a group of companies engaged in the full cycle of titanium production, from the extraction of titanium raw materials through innovation to the manufacture of final metal products.
Velta LLC is a Ukrainian company that is part of the group and is a manufacturer of titanium raw materials and the only private Ukrainian company that has built a titanium mining complex from scratch in the Kirovohrad region. With over 15 years of experience in the mining sector, the company holds 2% of the global titanium market and has partners and customers in Europe and the US.
Velta Holding also includes the Velta RD Titan research and development center and Velta Medical, a manufacturer of custom titanium implants.
Velta Holding LLC is wholly owned by VKF Velta LLC. The ultimate beneficiaries are three individuals: Andriy Brodsky (60%), Vadym Moskalenko (20%), and Vitaliy Malakhov (20%).
PATENT, PROCESSING, TECHNOLOGY, TITANIUM, US, USA, VELTA
The administration of US President Donald Trump intends to use US foreign aid accounts to return migrants to countries affected by conflict, including Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
“The Trump administration has developed plans to spend up to $250 million in foreign aid to fund the evacuation and return of people from areas of active conflict, including 700,000 Ukrainian and Haitian migrants who fled to the United States amid ongoing extreme violence in their home countries,” the report said.
According to the publication, the proposal, which had not been previously reported, was in the works even before the US Department of Homeland Security announced on May 5 that immigrants who voluntarily “self-deport” to their countries would be eligible for a $1,000 grant from the US government.
While previous administrations have supported the use of taxpayer funds for the voluntary repatriation of migrants, the proposal developed under Trump is unusual in that it includes people who have fled some of the most dangerous parts of the world and appears to be aimed at bypassing the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN-affiliated organization which typically helps return migrants to their homes. It also coincides with the administration’s polarizing attempt to drastically cut foreign aid, in particular by eliminating the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and ending 80% of its programs, including those that worked in Ukraine, Haiti, and other troubled countries.
In addition to Ukrainians and Haitians, the draft documents also mention Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians, and Yemenis, stating that they may also be targeted by the voluntary deportation program. The IOM does not support the return of people to any of these countries, according to the draft documents.
