Cyprus’ trade deficit widened to €4.57 billion in January-July 2025, up from €4.39 billion in the same period from 2024, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

Total imports of goods for the first seven months of 2025 reached €7.76 bn, compared to €6.71 bn in January-July 2024, recording an increase of 15.6 per cent.

Total exports of goods in the same period rose to €3.19 bn, up from €2.32 bn in January-July 2024, registering an increase of 37.4 per cent.

In July 2025, total imports of goods reached €1.26 bn, up from €1.07 bn in July 2024, an increase of 18.5 per cent.

Cyprus has expressed support for simplifying state aid rules during the first meeting of the Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth under the Danish Presidency, which recently took place in Brussels.

The Cypriot delegation was led by State Aid Commissioner Stella Michaelidou, accompanied by her team.

Her office will chair the working group during the upcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

According to an announcement from the Office of the Commissioner for State Aid Control, Stella Michaelidou was joined at the meeting by Constantinos Cholevas, president of the group, Elena Ioannidou, deputy president, and Vassilis Koiliaris, member.

The Danish Presidency outlined its priorities for the working group, hosted by the Council of the European Union.

The Bank of Cyprus (BoC) on Tuesday confirmed through a regulatory filing that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has reduced its stake in the lender to zero, formally completing its exit as a shareholder.

According to a TR-1 notification of major holdings submitted to the Central Bank of Ireland, the EBRD’s shareholding, which previously stood at 5.14 per cent, fell to 0.00 per cent after the disposal of its entire position.

The threshold crossing took place on September 4, 2025, and the bank was officially notified on September 8, 2025.

The filing shows that the EBRD no longer holds any voting rights in the Bank of Cyprus, either directly or through financial instruments.

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has updated its rules on marketing, distributing, and selling contracts for difference (CFDs) to private clients.

The new directive, effective from its publication on September 5, 2025, replaces previous rules and aims to protect retail investors from excessive risks.

“CFDs carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage, and many private investors are exposed to losses they cannot afford,” CySEC said.

The update lowers the maximum exposure allowed for certain CFD contracts.

The Bank of Cyprus on Tuesday announced a cash offer to buy its outstanding €300 million Fixed Rate Reset Tier 2 Capital Notes due October 2031.

According to the announcement, the bank is inviting holders of the notes to tender them for purchase for cash at a price equal to 102.3 per cent of the principal amount, subject to the satisfaction of the New Issue Condition, they added.

The New Issue Condition requires that the bank successfully issues a new series of euro-denominated Fixed Rate Reset Tier 2 Capital Notes under its €4 billion European Medium-Term Note Programme.

The purchase of any notes validly tendered is conditional on the aggregate principal amount of the new notes being at least equal to the total amount of notes validly offered and accepted, the bank said.

Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides last week visited Australia as part of ongoing internationalisation efforts to position Cyprus as a gateway hub to Europe, according to an official announcement.

Accompanied by Cyprus’ High Commissioner in Australia Antonis Sammoutis, Skourides held a series of high-level meetings to strengthen research and innovation collaboration between Cyprus and Australia.

He met Australia’s Chief Scientist Tony Haymet and presented Cyprus’s research and innovation ecosystem along with the Research and Innovation Strategy for 2024–2026.

The two exchanged views and best practices, with discussions focusing on cooperation in climate change and sustainability, ocean science and robotics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.

Australia’s strong reputation in research was underlined, with more than 90 per cent of its research output rated above the world standard.

The board of directors of Vassiliko Cement Works Public Company Ltd will meet on Thursday, September 25, 2025, to discuss, among other matters, the potential payment of an interim dividend from the profits of 2025 to shareholders.

According to a filing to the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE), the board said that the relevant resolutions will be similarly announced to the CSE before trading opens on September 26, 2025.

The company confirmed that the meeting forms part of its regular corporate governance process and that any decision on the interim dividend will depend on the board’s assessment of the company’s financial position.

The announcement follows the company’s ongoing commitment to maintain transparency with shareholders regarding profits and dividend policy.

Demetra Holdings Plc announced on Tuesday that it has proceeded with a further repurchase of its own shares in line with the relevant regulations of the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) and the circulars of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).

The company explained that the move was carried out under the authorisation granted by its annual general meeting of June 24, 2025, and in accordance with the Companies Law, Cap. 113, Article 57A.

The repurchase took place on September 8, 2025, during which Demetra, through the Cyprus Investment and Securities Corporation Ltd (CISCO), acquired a total of 3,000 of its own shares.

The transactions were executed at a price of 1.69 cents per share, bringing the overall consideration for the day to the same value across all three trades.

The latest edition of the European Researchers’ Night will take place in Cyprus on September 26, 2025, marking the nineteenth consecutive year the event is held on the island.

According to an announcement released on Tuesday, this year’s event, titled “Mission Possible – The sequel!”, will focus on connecting science, research and innovation with the public through a series of activities and presentations.

The event will take place at the State Fair in Nicosia, in Halls A and B, running from 8.30 in the morning until 10 in the evening.

This annual celebration of science is held simultaneously across 25 countries and more than 460 cities in Europe and beyond, always on the last Friday of September, attracting over 1.5 million visitors internationally.

The average price of agricultural output across the European Union rose by 5.6 per cent during the second quarter of 2025, compared with the same quarter of 2024, according to a report from Eurostat.

This confirmed an upward trend in prices after a previous period of decline, the European Union’s statistical office said.

The average price of goods and services used in agriculture but not related to investment, including energy, fertilisers, and feeding stuffs, increased slightly by 0.4 per cent over the same period, they added.

Comparing output prices in the second quarter of 2025 with the same period of 2024, there were sharp increases for key agricultural products such as eggs, which rose by 27.8 per cent, fruit, which rose by 21.1 per cent, and milk, which increased by 13.3 per cent.

Regarding inputs not related to investment, 17 EU countries reported price increases in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the same quarter of 2024.

The largest rises were recorded in the Netherlands, up 6.1 per cent, Hungary, up 5.6 per cent, and Austria, up 2.9 per cent.

Among countries with lower prices, Cyprus saw one of the steepest declines, with input costs falling by 3.4 per cent, the same as in Bulgaria, while Romania recorded a drop of 3.1 per cent, they added.