The Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade (ICIT) has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into the import of wood chipboard originating from the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation to Ukraine.
The decision of the commission made on February 16, 2021 on the initiation of an investigation comes into force from the moment of its publication, indicated in the report published in the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper dated February 20.
According to the report, the commission received a corresponding complaint from Svisspan Limited LLC (Kostopil, Rivne region)
According to the applicant, during the study period (H2 2017 – H1 2020), the share of dumped chipboard imports from Belarus and the Russian Federation exceeded half of the total imports, while the share of consumption ranged from 6.8% to 12.29% , in relation to production – from 5.03% to 11.72%. At the same time, the prices of dumped imports were significantly lower than the applicant’s price level for the entire study period and below the cost price level in H2 2019 – H1 2020.
Analysis of the dynamics of the main indicators of the applicant’s financial and economic activities during the study period showed a decrease in sales volumes, a loss of market share with an increase in consumption in the domestic market, a decrease in production volumes and deterioration in other financial indicators.
Having considered the complaint, the ICIT came to the conclusion that the import of chipboard from Belarus and the Russian Federation to Ukraine could be carried out at dumping prices and the level of the dumping margin cannot be considered minimal, and the volume of imports cannot be considered insignificant. The commission also said that the chipboard originating from these countries into Ukraine was imported in such volumes and on such conditions that it may harm the national manufacturer.
The investigation concerns wood chipboard, with the exception of chipboard panels covered with decorative laminated plastic, which are classified according to the Ukrainian Foreign Economic Activity Commodity Nomenclature as 4410 10 11 10 00, 4410 11 30 00 and 4410 11 90 00.
The Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture has been charged with carrying out the anti-dumping investigation. Interested parties are registered within 30 days.
Swisspan Limited is one of the leaders in the production of furniture boards in Ukraine, specializing in the production of sanded and laminated chipboards of its own trademark Swisspan by Sorbes. The company was founded in 2003 by the Swiss group Sorbes AG and, in addition to Swisspan Limited, owns LK Interplyt Nadvirna in Ivano-Frankivsk region, as well as the Repo Vabrikud plant in Estonia.
The volume of electricity imports to the integrated power system (IPS) of Ukraine from Belarus since the beginning of the year amounted to 150 MWh, to the Burshtyn TPP Island from Slovakia it was 30 MWh, according to data on the website of the system operator NPC Ukrenergo as of Monday.
According to the NPC data, 133 MWh of electricity was exported to Hungary (93 MWh) and Romania (40 MWh).
According to the results of the daily auction on January 1, published on the NPC website, the interstate sections in the direction of Belarus-Ukraine were purchased by DE Trading LLC and Dniprostal-energo LLC – 1,200 MW (50 MW every hour) and 540 MW (60 MW in the first four hours and last five hours of the day), respectively.
The section in the direction of Slovakia-Ukraine was purchased by TAS Energy Country LLC (only 200 MW per day). The same company bought out 150 MW in the direction of Ukraine-Hungary.
The neighboring countries of Ukraine, in addition to Poland, Belarus and the Russian Federation, are in the “red” zone for COVID-19, according to data published on the website of the Ministry of Health as of December 24.
The “red” zone includes countries with an incidence rate per 100,000 population over the past 14 days higher than in Ukraine (374). There are 45 countries in total.
Of the closest neighbors of Ukraine, the “red” zone includes Slovakia (634,900 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population), Moldova (460,400), Romania (400,300) and Hungary (521,700).
Lithuania, Georgia, Slovenia, U.S., Montenegro, Sweden, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Great Britain, Turkey, Austria, Germany are also among the countries of the “red” zone.
The list of countries of the “green” zone includes, in particular, Italy, Israel, Belgium, France, Canada, Spain, Greece, Japan, India, and Egypt.
Of the closest neighbors of Ukraine, the “green” zone includes Belarus (279 cases per 100,000 of the population), the Russian Federation (206,900) and Poland (366,700).
Belarus has placed temporary restrictions on the importation of poultry from the Republic of Tatarstan; the regions of Rostov, Samara, and Tomsk, Russia; the areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony, Germany; Corsica, France; Central Jutland, Denmark; as well as the provinces of Groningen and Gelderland, the Netherlands, the Veterinary and Food Supervision Department of the Agriculture and Food Ministry of the Republic of Belarus said.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, cases of highly pathogenic influenza in birds have been reported in these areas, the Belarus department said on its website.
Consequently, as of November 23, temporary restrictions have been introduced on the importation of live poultry, hatching and edible eggs, poultry meat, egg powder, egg mixture, egg albumen and other processed food from chicken eggs, down and feathers, non-disinfected game bird trophies, feed and feed additives, as well as other products from the said regions to Belarus.
All previously issued permits to import the specified goods and products have also been suspended. Meantime, goods and products subject to veterinary oversight and supervision that are subject to the restrictions and which have originated from the said regions prior to November 22 of the current year inclusive follow as per the usual regime, the department added.
“Meanwhile, additional oversight measures must be taken in order to ensure the biological protection of poultry facilities of all types of ownership,” the department said in the statement.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) at a meeting on Monday allowed a nonresident individual to acquire over 50% of the shares of BTA Bank (Kyiv).
“Permission is granted to an individual – a citizen of the Republic of Belarus to purchase shares of JSC BTA Bank, which grants that 50% of the votes in the management body of the company are exceeded,” the committee said on its website on Monday.
BTA Bank was founded in 1992. According to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), at the beginning of 2020, Kenes Rakishev was a shareholder of the bank, who indirectly owned 100% of the bank’s charter capital.
According to the NBU, as of October 1, 2020, BTA Bank ranked 71st in terms of assets (UAH 385.612 million) among 74 operating banks.
The Belarusian side has limited the admission of foreign citizens to its territory since October 29, arguing such actions by the need for additional measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, in connection with it there is a decrease in the number of travelers at checkpoints wishing to enter the territory of Belarus, the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has reported.
“Compared to last weekend, the passenger traffic has decreased by an average of 15%. Such situation is observed even at checkpoints, where traffic is usually heavy. Namely, in Novi Yarylovychi (Chernihiv region), Vystupovychi (Zhytomyr region) and Domanove (Volyn region),” a statement, released on Monday by the press service of the border department, said.
Now, at the checkpoints to exit Ukraine, the border is mainly crossed by participants in international road transport.
On average, Ukrainian border guards during the day register more than 1,700 people and about 1,000 vehicles at the Novi Yarylovychi checkpoint, about 300 people and almost 180 vehicles at the Vystupovychi checkpoint, and more than 600 people and nearly 100 vehicles at the Domanove checkpoint. There are no trucks and cars queues.
“We add that during the past weekend, the Belarusian side did not let in and returned to the territory of Ukraine 20 citizens of Ukraine and two foreigners,” the press service said.
