REUTERS
Russia has filed a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Ukraine for imposing duties on ammonium nitrate, Russian news agency RIA Novosti has reported, with reference to the head of Russia’s trade negotiations department, Maksim Medvedkov.
In July 2014, Ukraine increased by three times its duties on imports of ammonium nitrate from Russia (from 11.91% to 36.03%) and extended their effective period for another five years.
The decision was made following the statements from the Ostchem companies incorporated in a financial and industrial Group DF, owned by Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash.
They appealed to the fact that the gas price for Ukrainian nitrogen chemistry plants and Russian manufacturers differ significantly.
Ammonium nitrate is used as a component of explosives and as a nitrogen fertilizer.
Medvedkov also stated that Russia had filed another lawsuit at the WTO – against the EU - in connection with the anti-dumping measures against Russian welded pipes and also ammonium nitrate.
In early January, the European Commission abolished duties on imports of Ukrainian welded pipes, and duties were introduced with regard to manufacturers from Russia, China and Belarus.