Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Turkey slaps additional 23% duty on Ukrainian walnuts
A decision taken by the government of Turkey on June 25, 2013, to introduce an additional 23% duty on the import of Ukrainian walnuts was published in the official Resmi Gazete on July 12, 2013, and thus entered into force.
Thus, the ultimate duty on Ukrainian walnuts is now 66.2%.
According to the publication, duty for walnuts imported from the EU, EFTA, Georgia and other countries duty is kept at 44.2%, while duty for Bosnia and Herzegovina is set at zero.
In its notice sent to members of the World Trade Organization on June 12, Turkey said that it would introduce an additional 23% duty on Ukrainian walnuts from July 12, 2013, under Article 8.2 of the WTO’s Safeguards Agreement in response to limitations by Ukraine on car imports. The article allows the introduction of countervailing duties when the WTO’s requirements for holding consultations with parties concerned prior to the introduction of safeguarding measures have been violated. According to Bloomberg BNA, this is the first case of the application of this article in the history of the WTO.
Kyiv later said that it planned to persuade Ankara to give up the sanctions, but it failed.
Turkey said that Ukrainian walnuts worth $26.7 million were imported in 2012, which brings the total duties to $6.1 million, which fully corresponds to the amount of duties on imports of Turkish cars, which last year totaled $55 million.
From April 14, 2013, Ukraine introduced special duties on imports of new passengers cars with engines from 1,000 to 1,500 cubic centimeters at a rate of 6.46%, and on cars with engines from 1,500 to 2,200 cubic centimeters at a rate of 12.95%, irrespective of the country of origin and export.