September 12 2002, 12:41 Interfax-Ukraine

Russian butter duty will not cut Ukrainian exports - Ukraine's Agrarian Ministry official

Imposition by Russian government of a 15 percent customs duty for butter will not tell on volumes of this commodity exports to Russia from Ukraine, Deputy State Secretary for the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine Yuri Mel'nyk believes.

Although the introduction of duty may entail some drop in butter export prices, he thinks.

In late August Russian Federation introduced an import duty for mixtures and finished products, produced from animal and plant-origin butters and fats, and edible fractions of these in the amount of 15 percent of the customs value, but no less than EUR 0.12 per kilogramme.