Page 31 - bne IntelliNews Country Report: Ukraine Dec17

Ukraine's merchandise trade deficit reached $3.9bn in January-September compared to $1.9bn a year ago, the Ukrstat state statistics agency in Kyiv reported on November 14.
The nation's goods imports grew 27.3% year-on-year, while exports increased 21.1% y/y in January-September. Merchandise exports grew on the back of mineral products (53% y/y), food oils (27% y/y), food (25% y/y), metals (17% y/y), grains (15% y/y), and machinery (14% y/y). Merchandise imports swelled owing to energy (58% y/y), vehicles (51% y/y), metals (29% y/y), machinery (25% y/y) and chemicals (14% y/y), according to Kyiv-based brokerage Concorde Capital.
"The goods trade deficit widened as we expected, while the recent customs statistics are revealing that the deficit will acclerate further," Concorde's Alexander Paraschiy wrote in a research note on November 15. "For January-October, customs data report a $4.7bn deficit compared to a $2.1bn deficit a year ago."
This figure already exceeds our initial forecast for a $4.4bn trade deficit for the total year (according to Ukrstat methodology), the expert added.
Concorde forecasts 2017 trade deficit at $5.4bn by the end of the year.
5.2 Balance of payments, current account 5.2.1 Import/export dynamics
External 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 balance E F F F
Exports (US$bn) 61.4 82.5 52.1 65.6 83.7 86.5 81.7 65.4 47.6 44.9 50.2 50.8 56.5
Imports (US$bn) 69.5 96.8 54 69.6 93.8 100.9 97.4 70 49 50.3 54.6 57.2 62.8
Trade balance -8.1 -14.4 -2 -4 -10.1 -14.3 -15.6 -4.6 -1.5 -5.4 -4.3 -6.4 -6.3 (US$bn)
Trade balance -5.7 -7.8 -1.7 -2.9 -6.2 -8.2 -8.7 -3.5 -1.6 -5.8 -4.4 -5.9 -5.1 (% of GDP)
Source: ICU
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said exports of Ukrainian goods to the European market have grown by 10% during the action period of the free trade area (FTA) agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. "The free trade area agreement with the European Union has been valid for more than a year, and during this period the exports of Ukrainian goods to the European Union market have grown by more than 10%," he said when speaking at the forum "One Belt One Road" in Tbilisi. At the same time, the share of Ukrainian exports to the EU is about 40%.
Ukraine has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into salt imports from Belarus, Interfax news agency reported on November 3 quoting the Uriadovy
31 UKRAINE Country Report December 2017 www.intellinews.com