Ukraine, the “breadbasket of the Soviet Union” is known as a major producer of wheat. Important crops in Ukraine include rye, flax, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflowers and potatoes. European exports from the Ukraine are handled by John Shirley’s local operatators, who all speak local languages. Industrial products from Ukraine include steel, tractors, machinery and building materials which are easily shipped with John Shirley’s specialised vehicles. Chemicals, consumer goods and fertilizers may require road tankers and in some cases hazardous freight shipping, and this is where John Shirley’s local knowlege and connections can prove very useful . The majority of Ukraine’s trading takes place with Russia, Germany, Italy, Belarus, China and Turkmenistan. Our Balkcans expertise and wider European experience is well known and part loads and groupage can be arranged to a wide range of euopean and worldwide destinations as well as full loads.
Ukraine is relatively rich in natural resources, particularly in mineral deposits. Although oil and natural gas reserves in the country are largely exhausted, it has other important energy sources, such as coal, hydroelectricity and nuclear fuel raw materials.
Ukraine has a major ferrous metal industry, producing cast iron, steel and pipes. As of 2005, Ukraine was the world’s eighth largest steel producer. Another important branch is the country’s chemical industry which includes the production of coke, mineral fertilizers and sulfuric acid. Manufactured goods include metallurgical equipment, diesel locomotives, tractors, and automobiles. The country possesses a massive high-tech industrial base, including much of the former USSR’s electronics, arms industry and space program. However, these fields are state-owned and economically underdeveloped. Ukraine is alos a major producer of grain, sugar, meat and milk products.