• The president of Internet Invest Group said the sale of the ex.ua domain, which belonged to file-sharing site shut down by the government over piracy concerns, could be the most expensive deal in Ukraine’s history, Ekonomicheskaya Pravda reported.

• Ukraine could get $100 million to $150 million in trade preferences from the European Union, according to a report in Ekonomicheskaya Pravda. Products that the preferences will be applied to include footwear, copper jewelry and assorted grains.

• Dragon Capital could double investment levels in Ukraine next year, Interfax reported. Founded in 2000, it is one of the largest investment companies in Ukraine. CEO Tomas Fiala said: “We’ve decided the situation has improved to such an extent that we can be cautiously optimistic and can start to invest.”

• If the Rada doesn’t pass a draft 2017 budget by early this month, the chances of getting the latest tranche of an IMF loan this year are almost nil, the National Bank of Ukraine said in a statement picked up by multiple news outlets.

• From January to October this year, Ukraine’s ag. exports were over $10 billion -- 25 percent were high-value-added products, according to a Ukrinform report.

• Ukraine experienced a record number of sales of new automobiles in November, Ekonomicheskaya Pravda reported. November saw the sale of more than 7,300 units, up 48 percent from a year ago. In the first 11 months of this year, the Ukrainian auto market grew 39 percent.

• Prime Minister Volodomyr Groysman announced that state rail carrier Ukrzaliznytsa will buy 9,000 new freight cars in 2017, Interfax Ukraine reported. The prime minister said the news shows the “serious modernization” the railroad is starting.

• Ukraine’s trade deficit rose by 1.6 times as imports surpassed exports by almost $5 billion, according to Ukrinform.

• Kharkov International Airport increased its passenger load by 60 percent in the first nine months of the year, Ukrinform reported. In other Kharkov transportation news, Russia’s Yandex.Taxi launched its service in the city, Ekonomicheskaya Pravda reported.

• Security forces and the government’s fiscal service blocked imports of petroleum products to 16 Ukrainian companies, a report in Ekonomicheskaya Pravda stated.

For comments and news tips, please email UBJ AM editor David Edwards atdavid.edwards@theubj.com.