Sixteen foreign companies have registered interest in Ukraine’s first big privatization of this year

Sixteen foreign companies have registered interest in Ukraine’s first big privatization of this year – the sale of a state company that mines and enriches titanium ore in Zhytomyr and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Scheduled to take place by the end of March, the online auction of United Mining and Chemical Company is expected to draw bids of at least $150 million, State Property Fund officials told reporters yesterday. The company produces ilmenite, the main source of titanium dioxide, which is used in paints, printing inks, fabrics, plastics, paper, sunscreen, food, and cosmetics.