Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Ukraine excluded sugar from the regime of free trade with Russia and Belarus
Ukraine excluded sugar from the regime of free trade with Russia and Belarus trying to protect the domestic market from its massive cheap import from these countries.
As Vice Premier Leonid Kozachenko announced during a meeting on October 10 in Kiev, corresponding decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers.
As L. Kozachenko pointed out, such measure would allow keeping prices on sugar from excessive decrease, as well as supporting earnings of domestic agricultural producers.
L. Kozachenko reminded that Russia and Belarus have limited import of Ukrainian sugar even earlier, so such measures may be considered as retaliatory.
As it is forecasted by the Ministry of Agrarian Politics, sugar beet crop this year will total no less than 1.5 million tons, which would allow producing about 2 million tons of sugar.
Domestic need of Ukraine in sugar is estimated by the Ministry at 1.8 million tons.
Sugar imported to Ukraine is mainly produced from cane and has a significantly less cost in comparison to sugar produced from beet.