President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has set a task to Energy and Environment Protection Minister Oleksiy Orzhel to reduce coal and electricity imports.
“What kind of import can we talk about when the countries from which we import do not allow us to enter their markets?” the president said at the meeting of the workers of coal industry in Kyiv on Tuesday.
He said that import is possible exclusively regarding definite brands of coal, which are not extracted inside the country.
“Therefore, our coal, our miners, our electricity comes first,” Zelensky said, adding that there is no place for coal imports in the Ukrainian coal industry.
Ukraine in January 2020 imported 596,336 tonnes of petroleum products (according to foreign trade activity code 2710, petrol, diesel fuel, fuel oil, jet fuel, etc.), which is 13.4% less than in the same period of 2019.
According to the State Fiscal Service, petroleum products were imported in the amount of $371.751 million, which is 12.6% less than in January 2019.
Fuel imports from Russia amounted to $147.083 million (a share of 39.56%), Belarus to $135.742 million (36.51%), Lithuania to $50.011 million (13.45%), from other countries to $38.915 million (10.47%).
In addition, in January 2020, Ukraine exported 27,223 tonnes (46.5% less compared to January 2019) of petroleum products for a total amount of $15.698 million (23.5% less). The cost of fuel delivered to contractors from Latvia amounted to $3.781 million, Hungary some $2.09 million, Ireland some $1.24 million, and from other countries some $8.587 million.
Ukrainian enterprises increased imports of copper and copper products in terms of money by 16.2% in January 2020 compared with similar period of 2019, to $6.888 million.
Exports of copper and copper products decreased 37.6% over the year to $3.919 million, according to customs statistics released by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine.
In December, copper and copper products were imported to the tune of $9.995 million, and copper exports were estimated at $6.831 million.
In addition, in January 2020, Ukraine decreased imports of nickel and products made of it by 13.7%, to $7.974 million (imports in December were estimated at $5.429 million), while imports of aluminum and products made of it increased 17.2%, to $27.399 million ($32.729 million). Imports of lead and products made of it decreased by 50.5%, to $0.532 million ($1.07 million) and imports of tin and products made of it increased 35.7%, to $0.152 million ($0.353 million). Imports of zinc and zinc goods increased 15.2%, to $4.231 million ($6.805 million).
Exports of aluminum and products made of it increased 8.18% in January 2020, to $7.16 million ($7.422 million in December alone), while shipments of lead abroad increased 79.7%, to $2.507 million ($1.98 million). Exports of nickel fell by 8.6%, to $0.16 million ($0.272 million in December).
Zinc exports in January 2020 amounted to $0.003 million, while in January 2019 it was $39,000 ($0.001 million in December). Exports of tin and products made of it in January 2020 were estimated at $0.015 million ($0.008 million in December) compared to $0.003 million in January 2019.
Ukraine in 2019 increased import of oil (according to foreign trade activity code 2709) by 3.1% (by 23,796 tonnes) compared to 2018, to 790,628 tonnes.
According to the State Customs Service, last year oil was imported for $405.748 million, which is 6% less than in 2018 ($431.735 million).
Azerbaijan supplied raw materials worth $309.443 million (a share of 76.26%), the United States for $90.999 million (22.43%), Kazakhstan for $2.596 million (0.64%), and other countries for $2.710 million (0.67%).
In 2019, Ukraine exported 103 tonnes of oil worth $53,000. The entire volume was delivered to Latvia in June.
Ukrainian enterprises increased imports of copper and copper products in terms of money by 17.9% in 2019 compared with similar period of 2018, to $124.36 million.
Exports of copper and copper products decreased 42.9% over the year to $79.668 million, according to customs statistics released by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine.
In December, copper and copper products were imported to the tune of $9.995 million, and copper exports were estimated at $6.831 million.
In addition, in 2019, Ukraine decreased imports of nickel and products made of it by 11.5%, to $83.27 million (imports in December were estimated at $5.429 million), while imports of aluminum and products made of it increased 9%, to $401.814 million ($32.729 million). Imports of lead and products made of it decreased by 4.6%, to $15.484 million ($1.07 million) and imports of tin and products made of it decreased 18%, to $3.928 million ($0.353 million). Imports of zinc and zinc goods decreased 8.5%, to $75.631 million ($6.805 million).
Exports of aluminum and products made of it decreased 23.8% in 2019, to $100.554 million ($7.422 million in December alone), while shipments of lead abroad decreased 20%, to $27.075 million ($1.98 million). Exports of nickel fell by 44.6%, to $4.505 million ($0.272 million in December).
Zinc exports in 2019 amounted to $0.467 million ($0.001 million in December) compared to $0.363 in 2018. Exports of tin and products made of it in 2019 were estimated at $0.045 million ($0.008 million in December) compared to $0.313 million in 2018.
National Energy Company Ukrenergo with continued low demand on electricity in the unified power transmission system of Ukraine restricts imports of electricity as much as possible, Ukrenergo Head Vsevolod Kovalchuk has said.
“In the unified power transmission system, we have a situation of reduced demand: due to weather and a low level of industrial production. Therefore, we almost completely limit the opportunities for importers by making adjustments to schedules: during night hours is zero imports and for daylight hours a small amount of imports,” he said at a meeting of the national energy regulator on Tuesday.
The head of Ukrenergo also said that, given the current situation, it is difficult to predict the likelihood of return of large volumes of electric energy imports to the unified power transmission system before the end of December.
“Until the end of December, it is very difficult to predict whether there will be significant volumes of imports that we observed in the first half of October,” Kovalchuk said.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, imports from Belarus, after its termination on December 2, resumed in small volumes on December 7. In the last two days it has been 350 MW, excluding the period from midnight to 8 am, when it is zero.
Imports from Russia, which stopped on December 5, are still completely absent.
