Page 49 - UKRRptFeb24

from Ukraine, particularly when there is a potential to drive down prices in neighbouring countries like Poland.
The proposed restrictions are particularly relevant in light of Ukraine's anticipated full access to the EU market, after it was formally granted candidate status in December. Agriculture will be one of the main sticking points in the up-coming negotiations that are likely to last a decade. As bn e IntelliNews reported, Ukraine can’t join the EU until the Common Agricultural Policy is reformed as it would be entitled to an estimated €186bn in subsidies that would force Brussels to completely rework the EU budget as well member states’ contributions.
The safeguards are slated to be in effect until June 2025, offering a specified timeframe for their implementation.
Ukraine is third largest agricultural supplier to EU. Ukraine remains among the top three suppliers of agricultural products to the EU, even though the exports dropped to an almost pre-invasion level in autumn 2023, the European Commission's report said.
Ukraine’s grain exports via the Black Sea have almost returned to prewar levels, it has been reported. “On average, we exported 7.5-8 million tonnes of grain monthly. Now we have crossed this threshold, and this means that capacity has almost been restored ... what has been done is is very important,” said Leonid Kozachenko, the chair of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, in remarks to Ukrainian radio that were quoted by the news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
According to the results of 2023, Ukrainian mining companies reduced iron ore export by 26% compared to 2022 - to 17.75 million tons. Compared to the pre-war year 2021, the export of raw materials decreased by 60%. Revenue from the export of raw materials decreased by 39.4% compared to 2022, to $1.77B. In 2021, the export of raw materials in monetary terms was $6.89B, 74.4% more than in 2023.
Ukraine has already exported almost 15 million tons of goods through the temporary Black Sea corridor. It is noted that 10 million tons of these exports were agricultural products. During the five months of the corridor’s operation, 469 vessels entered Ukrainian ports for loading. Currently, 39 ships are loading in the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdenny, and another 83 have confirmed their readiness to enter the ports and export 2.4 million tons of cargo.
In the first week of the year, Ukraine exported more than one million tons of grain. Since the beginning of the new trading season through January 8, Ukraine exported 19.422 million tons of grain and leguminous crops, 1.03 million tons in January alone. On the same date last year, the total volume of shipments was 23.598 million tons, including 852,000 tons in January.
The export of dairy products decreased by 30%. In 2023, Ukraine’s export of dairy products in monetary terms decreased by almost 30% compared to 2022 and increased their import by more than 15%. In 2023, the negative balance of export-import of dairy products amounted to $77.2M, while a year earlier, this figure was positive - $28.2M. Also, analysts emphasized that the growth of imports in 2023 occurred in almost all categories of dairy products.
Ukraine received almost $400M from the export of sugar. In 2023, sugar exports reached 506,000 tons, which allowed Ukrainian producers to earn $390M. For comparison, in 2022, 181,000 tons of sugar valued at $139M were delivered to foreign markets. According to this indicator, Ukraine came close to an all-time record in 2017 and 2018, when almost 600,000 tons were exported.
49 UKRAINE Country Report February 2024 www.intellinews.com