• Bilateral trade turnover between Ukraine and China hit $6.5 billion in 2016, Minister for Regional Development Hennadiy Zubko told Ukrinform.

• Ukraine is working on strengthening U.S. business in the country, Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk wrote on his Facebook page after a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. According to Danyliuk, the new U.S. administration wants more American investment in Ukraine.

• Representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises say Ukraine’s business climate has improved. In 2016, the index rose to 0.06 from 0.01 in 2015, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

• EU visa liberalization with Ukraine will be approved without discussion by the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union, a European Commission told Ukrinform.

• Volodymyr Lavrenchuk, chairman of the board of Raiffeisen Bank Aval has reportedly agreed to take up post of the Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, succeeding Valeria Gontareva, TV Channel 24 reported.

• The National Bank of Ukraine could sustain $82.3 million in losses because of lawsuits filed against the regulator, UNIAN reported.

• The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a three-year hryvnia loan to OTP Leasing LLC in the amount equivalent to $20 million, the bank has said on its website.

• Ukrainian steelmakers cut steel output by 4.5% in March year-over-year, to 2,105 million metric tons, while retaining the 11th place in the international steelmakers rating drawn up by the World Steel Association.

• The real number of unemployed Ukrainians is 1.9 million, while only 400,000 are registered with social services as unemployed, Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko said, speaking on ZIK TV.

• Due to continued trade sanctions between Russia and Turkey, Ukraine's grain shipments to Turkey grew in March, hitting 46,000 metric tons, according to BlackSeaGrain.

For comments and news tips, please email UBJ AM editor Vitalii Dubenskyi at vitalii.dubenskyi@theubj.com