Yuliia Svyrydenko discusses Made in Ukraine policy with Zaporizhzhia region manufacturers

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko visited Zaporizhzhia on a working trip, where she met with local entrepreneurs. The discussions focused on the Made in Ukraine policy to support Ukrainian manufacturers and the challenges faced by businesses in this frontline region.

The meeting was attended by Ivan Fedorov, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration; Dmytro Kysylevskyi, Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development; Taras Kachka and Andrii Teliupa, Deputy Ministers of Economy; and Yurii Sheiko, First Deputy Minister of Energy.

“Zaporizhzhia region has always been the heart of industrial Ukraine, contributing over 8% of industrial output – millions of tonnes of steel, machinery, and energy equipment. Currently, 80% of the region is under temporary occupation, and the city faces daily shelling. Yet, local entrepreneurs continue to produce nearly 20% of Ukraine’s metallurgy output and about 7% of its mechanical engineering products,” noted the First Deputy Prime Minister.

During the visit, Yuliia Svyrydenko presented awards from the Ministry of Economy to businesses and entrepreneurs demonstrating remarkable resilience and contributing to economic development despite the war. One recipient was Orikhivsilmash, a leading agricultural machinery manufacturer that relocated to Zaporizhzhia. The company is actively recovering, with production volumes in 2024 approximately four times higher than in 2023, and similar growth projected for 2025.

An award was also given to a regional enterprise actively fulfilling defence contracts for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Yuliia Semihailova, a veteran who started her own business after returning from the war and now leads the Zaporizhzhia branch of the Women’s Veteran Movement, was also recognised.

Entrepreneurs highlighted several key issues:

• Metallurgy sector: The need to maintain duty-free trade with the EU. This week, the EU Council is expected to approve a three-year extension of exemptions from trade protection measures for Ukrainian metallurgy.
• Protection against dumping imports: Yuliia Svyrydenko informed businesses that the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade is operational. Companies facing aggressive non-market competition can apply to the Ministry of Economy to initiate anti-dumping investigations.
• Blocked payments from the EU: Foreign banks often block payments to Zaporizhzhia, failing to distinguish between occupied and non-occupied parts of the region. The Ministry of Economy is engaging with European banks and DG FISMA to ensure regional companies can meet bank compliance requirements.
• Fraud in localisation: Some foreign goods are misrepresented as Ukrainian. Pilot changes are being prepared in respect of buses and transformers to address such issues.

Other ongoing challenges include addressing the shortage of scrap metal, introducing new financial instruments to support businesses recovering from attacks, and improving the 15% compensation programme.

“Thank you to Zaporizhzhia’s businesses for their resilience despite everything – for investing and developing even under daily shelling. Your work is the foundation of our country’s economic self-sufficiency,” concluded Yuliia Svyrydenko.