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The move is aimed at countering trade restrictions imposed by Russia on imports and transit shipments of Ukrainian products.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has extended until December 31, 2019, its two resolutions providing for restrictions on imports of products originating from Russia.
The documents stipulate a complete ban on the importation of a number of Russian goods, as well as the extension of customs duties on certain goods from Russia, which were imported duty free before 2015. The effect of the resolutions was extended until December 31, 2019, with their possible extension in future, according to the Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Ministry's press service.
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The measures envisaged by the government were applied with the aim of countering trade restrictions imposed by Russia on imports and transit shipments of Ukrainian products and ensuring the protection of national interests and Ukrainian businesses.
So, instead of the zero rate for certain Russian goods, which was in force under the agreement on the creation of a Free Trade Area (FTA) for the CIS countries, the WTO's so-called "most favored nation treatment," which allows the use of high import duty rates, has been in effect since January 2, 2016.
The government also extended the resolution, which banned the import of the following goods from Russia: food products (dairy produce, tea, coffee, beer, and alcoholic beverages), cosmetic personal care products (shampoos, shower gels, and soap), chemical industry products for agriculture (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and rodenticides), potassium chloride, as well as railway equipment (locomotives, wagons, and track equipment), etc.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian Federation suspended the CIS FTA agreement with Ukraine and imposed an embargo on Ukrainian goods from January 1, 2016. In particular, Russia banned imports of cheese, salt, dairy products, canned fish and other food products from Ukraine.
In response, the Ukrainian government on December 30, 2015, approved a list of Russian goods prohibited from being imported into Ukraine. Their total value corresponds to that of the Ukrainian exports banned by Russia.