Today we will discuss a sphere in which NIBULON has been maintaining leadership for many years – foreign economic activity. The company has managed not only to become a leader in the domestic market of Ukraine, but also to win the best positions for our country in the international grain market.
This marketing year NIBULON plans to export a record volume of 6 million tons of agricultural commodities to foreign markets. And the results of the first half of the marketing year give all grounds for such expectations. The company has already exported about 3 million tons of grain. This is a record volume in the company’s history.
For comparison: the previous record year for NIBULON was 2009/10 MY. In the first half of 2009/10 MY, NIBULON exported more than 2.44 million tons, and a total volume accounted for about 4.8 million tons. This year’s results already exceed the company’s previous achievements.
The company shipped the largest volume in December – 554.4 thousand tons of grain. December 2018, as well as August, was a record month in the company’s export history.
According to Dmytro Furda, a senior trader, despite the general tendency of fall in demand and rise in   competition between main exporting countries, year after year NIBULON manages to open new markets. Due to high-quality products delivered by NIBULON, as well as the observance of all necessary food safety standards, the company managed to open markets of Northern Europe in 2018/19 MY.
“This marketing year, our company has exported commodities to such countries as Finland, Denmark, Norway for the first time and has built strong ties with the region’s consumers. The company’s products received positive feedback from importers, and we expect to increase supplies to this region in the future”, explains Dmytro Furda.
Every year NIBULON’s exports to the EU countries account for an increasing share of the company’s total exports. In the first half of 2018/19 MY, this share amounted to 35,5 %, against 11,3 % over the same period last year.  Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France and Denmark form the first five of importers.
“This marketing year, we have resumed supplies to Germany and have started negotiations with Sweden”, continues Dmytro Furda. “The high requirements for the quality of products we set ourselves help us to gain confidence of European colleagues who use only products of the highest quality to meet food safety standards of the EU”.
Traditionally, the company continues to develop the eastern direction of export and increase its supplies to China, Indonesia and other countries of Southeast Asia. This marketing year, NIBULON has shipped corn to India for the first time.  
NIBULON’s success in the foreign market is the result of many years of persistent work and effective implementation of the investment program. In May 2018, NIBULON inaugurated its new elevator complex for shipment of grain and oilseeds (43 thousand tons) as part of the transshipment terminal and the reconstructed berth of 222 m, having increased the efficiency of vessel handling, as well as efficiency of the terminal. It is worth highlighting that increases in volumes of cargo transportation by rivers to optimize internal logistics are specific steps aimed to improve Ukrainian agricultural commodity competitiveness in the global market. Last year, shipments of NIBULON’s fleet for export increased by 27 % and amounted to more than 2.2 million tons. In total, last year NIBULON’s shipping company handled 105 vessels, having loaded about 30 large-capacity vessels in the outer roads (without calling at ports).  
NIBULON continues its import activities. In particular, it receives equipment from the world’s leading manufacturers for the construction of its fleet and transshipment terminals. In the first half of 2018/19 MY, NIBULON signed equipment supply contracts with SIA “RIGAS DIZELIS DG” (Latvia), Rolls-Royce Oy Ab (Finland), Alewijnse Marine Galati S.A. (Romania) in order to construct a self-propelled P-140 project vessel; it also signed a contract with Buhler UK Ltd (Great Britain) to create a grain cleaning line at “Novoodes’ka” branch (Mykolaiv region) through the optical sorting technology which enables separation of any impurities from products.
NIBULON also signed a new contract with the German company Liebherr-MCCTEC Rostock GmbH for the supply of the CBG360, robust four-rope grab crane, which will be installed on the P-140 project vessel. As previously reported, the portal slewing crane LPS 180 from Libherr was mounted at the end of 2018.
Since 2015, NIBULON has been purchasing diesel fuel from the EU. This allows the company to meet its needs for high-quality oil products. Independence from the domestic market of oil products is an important promising direction in the company’s activities. In the first half of the year, total fuel imports increased by 60,53 % compared to the similar period of the previous marketing year.
NIBULON continues to open new grain markets and strengthen the image of Ukraine as a participant in international trade and strengthen its economy when integrating our country into the world economic space. So our main records are still ahead.