dengi-info.com
Ukraine's Trade Representative Nataliya Mykolska announces that the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a number of trade countermeasures against Russia and drawn up a list of banned Russian products, which will become effective only after Russia imposes a trade embargo against Ukraine.
Russia is expected to enforce its trade embargo against Ukraine on January 1, 2016.
"The Prime Minister said that we would introduce the approved measures on the following day after Russia imposed its measures. On January 2, we will apply a most favored nation regime [the introduction of import duties within the World Trade Organization membership – UNIAN], and impose an embargo [an import ban – UNIAN] from January 10, because we understand that some of the products are currently in transit, so we provide a transitional period to ensure that our companies do not incur losses," Mykolska said.
She noted the rates of import duties would depend on commodity items.
"There are different rates – from 0.5% to about 10%. The rates are applicable depending on particular items," Mykolska said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's Economy Ministry on December 29 proposed a ban on the imports of meat, fish, cereals, grains, bakery foods, vodka, beer, cigarettes, confectionery, pet food, chemicals and railway equipment from Russia to Ukraine as of January 10, 2016, in response to the expected introduction by Russia of a trade embargo against Ukraine.
The full list of banned goods was posted on the ministry's website. It includes the following commodities: meat (codes according to the Ukrainian classification of export and import commodities: 0201, 0202, 0203, 0207, 0210); fish and seafood (03); milk and dairy products (0403909100); processed cheese (0406303100); roasted caffeinated coffee (0901210000); black tea (09023000); grain (1104291700); food mixes or products of animal and vegetable fats and oils (15179099), oil sludge or fat residues (1522009100); caramel (1704907100); sugar confectionery without cocoa (1704909900); chocolate products (1806310000, 1806901900); baby food packaged for retail sale (1901100000); pasta (1902191000; dry sweet biscuits (1905311100); waffles (1905321100); bakery products (1905905500, 1905906000); semi-prepared potato products (2005202000); coffee extracts, essences and concentrates (21011100); products for preparing sauces and prepared sauces (2103909000); food products not containing milk fat, sucrose, starch (2106909200); beer (2203000100, 2203000900); ethyl alcohol (2207); vodka (220860); food for dogs or cats, packaged for retail sale (230910); filtered cigarettes (2402209020); capryl alcohol and its isomers (2905168510); potassium chloride (3104205000); surface-active agents and detergents for cleaning skin (3401300000); insecticides (380891); fungicides (380892), herbicides, sprout inhibitors and phytohormones (380893); rodenticides (3808991000); artificial sausage casing (3917320020); equipment for railway or tram lines (8530100000); diesel electric locomotives (8602100000).
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on December 16 a decree suspending the agreement on a free trade area with Ukraine from January 1, 2016.
On December 25, Russia's Federation Council, which is the upper house of the Russian parliament, unanimously endorsed the bill on the suspension by the Russian Federation of the Treaty on the free trade area in respect of Ukraine as of January 1, 2016.
Harsh trade measures against Ukraine were announced by Russia in response to Ukraine's refusal to postpone the introduction of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. The agreement will come into force in full on January 1, 2016.