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Ukraine proposes that Russia lift its special duty on butter
The Ministry of Economy and on the Issues of European Integration of Ukraine has prepared a letter to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Russian Federation with a proposition to lift the 5-percent special duty on import of butter, introduced by Russian government in August this year, Ukraine's Deputy State Secretary for the Ministry of Economy Volodymyr Stetsenko has informed.
According to him, introduction of the special duty, among other, is a breach of the free trade agreement between Ukraine and Russia and contradicts to recent agreements, achieved between Prime Ministers of the two countries.
Stetsenko recalled that in conformity with the above agreements and understandings both parties undertook not to impose restrictive sanctions on imports of the other party's products without adequate investigation of the issue and to inform each other in advance about measures that were being prepared.
He noted that the Russian move might negatively affect Ukrainian producers of butter who imported their product into Russian market.
On July 1, 2002 government of Russia introduced a special duty on imports of butter in the amount of 5 percent of the basic rate of import duty, but no less than EUR0.07 per kilogramme. The duty remains in effect till December 31, 2002.