The European Union has officially published its list of sectoral sanctions against Belarus.
In line with the decision of the EU Council, which was published in the EU’s official journal, the ban on import or transit from Belarus of highly significant export goods for the country, petroleum products and potash fertilizers, applies to contracts signed after June 25, 2021. The EU sanctions thus do not apply to current contracts for supplies of petroleum products and potash fertilizers.
“It shall be prohibited […] to transport petroleum products if they originate in Belarus, or are being exported from Belarus to any other country; to provide, directly or indirectly, technical assistance, brokering services, financing or financial assistance, including financial derivatives, as well as insurance and re-insurance […]. The prohibitions […] shall be without prejudice to the execution of contracts concluded before June 25, 2021, or ancillary contracts necessary for the execution of such contracts,” the document said.
Similar sanctions are envisaged for potash fertilizers from Belarus. “It shall be prohibited to import, purchase or transfer, directly or indirectly, potassium chloride (‘potash’) products […] from Belarus, whether or not originating in Belarus. The prohibitions […] shall be without prejudice to the execution of contracts concluded before June 25, 2021, or ancillary contracts necessary for the execution of such contracts,” it said.
BANS, BELARUS, EUROPEAN UNION, IMPORT, OIL PRODUCTS, TRANSIT
Ukraine in January-May of this year increased imports of aluminum ores and concentrate (bauxite) in kind by 12.3% compared to the same period last year, to 2.185 million tonnes.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service on Tuesday, during this period, imports of bauxite in monetary terms increased 16.8%, to $99.393 million.
At the same time, aluminum ores were mainly imported from Guinea (60.15% of supplies in monetary terms), as well as from Brazil (22.26%) and Ghana (16.31%).
Ukraine in January-May 2021 re-exported bauxite in the amount of 94 tonnes for the tune of $19,000 to Poland (84.21%) and Germany (15.79%).
The National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine Ukrtsukor appealed to Minister of Economy Oleksiy Liubchenko with a request not to support the initiative of the Cabinet of Ministers to permit duty-free import of 120,000 tonnes of sugar until October 1, 2021. According to an appeal to the minister, published on the association’s website, the Ukrainian sugar industry is able to fully meet the needs of the domestic market, since as of June 1, sugar stocks in the warehouses of manufacturing plants amount to 300,000 tonnes, excluding stocks of agricultural producers, retail chains and the population. At the same time, according to Ukrtsukor, the average monthly sugar consumption in Ukraine is 80,000 tonnes.
“In addition, at the beginning of 2021, some 40,000 tonnes of white sugar were imported. Also in May 2021, Ukraine imported 60,000 tonnes of raw sugar from Brazil for industrial processing at two sugar factories into white sugar, and another 27,000 tonnes of raw sugar are already on the way to Ukraine and will be delivered by the end of June,” the association said in the appeal to the minister.
The above supplies, according to Ukrtsukor, will meet the domestic demand for sugar by the new season.
The association noted that in 2021 in Ukraine, the area under sugar beet crops increased compared to last year, which, together with favorable weather conditions, makes it possible to expect a sufficient yield of sugar beet. In turn, this will contribute to the full supply of the domestic market with sugar in the 2021/2022 marketing year (MY), as well as a possible decrease in sugar prices at the end of August 2021 with the beginning of the sugar making season.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers in June proposed to permit duty-free imports of 120,000 tonnes of sugar until October 1, 2021 in order to stabilize the situation in the market for this product.
The Cabinet of Ministers has proposed to the Verkhovna Rada to reduce the ceiling cost of duty-free import of goods into Ukraine in hand luggage or accompanying baggage from EUR 1,000 to EUR 430 – for checkpoints at airports and seaports, as well as at the level of EUR 300 instead of EUR 500 – through other checkpoints.
In addition, the bill increases the period during which goods in connection with resettlement to a permanent place of residence in Ukraine are imported without customs duties to one year instead of current six months.
At the same time, the government bill proposes to exempt from taxation the import into the territory of Ukraine of fixed assets of companies that move their activities to Ukraine with the creation of a new enterprise.
In addition, the bill proposes to exempt from duties scientific equipment, devices, as well as other items of research activities not related to entrepreneurship.
Coke and chemical plants of Ukraine in January-May of this year imported 4 million tonnes of raw coking coal and coking coal concentrate, which is 4.2% more than in the same period last year.
According to an information note of the Ukrmetalurgprom association, the supply of Ukrainian coal mined during this period amounted to 1.64 million tonnes, which is 8.6% more than in the same period last year.
In general, in January-May 2021, Ukrainian coke and chemical plants received 5.64 million tonnes of coal for coking, which is 5.4% more compared to January-May 2020. At the same time, the share of imported coal in the total supply amounted to 70.9% versus 71.8% in January-May 2020.
Some 3.424 million tonnes of coke (101.8% compared to January-May 2020) were supplied to Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises, including 3.346 million tonnes of Ukrainian origin (100.3%), and 68,000 tonnes of imported (4.53 times more). The share of imported coke in the total supply amounted to 1.99% versus 0.45% in January-May last year.
In addition, in January-May 2021, some 1.5 million tonnes of scrap metal were procured (134.8% compared to the same period in 2020), of which 1.354 million tonnes (123.5%) were supplied to Ukrainian consumers as imported. Exports of scrap metal in January-May 2021 amounted to 146,000 tonnes (887%).
It is noted that the provision of metallurgical enterprises with Ukrainian iron ore raw materials for the specified period was carried out in accordance with the needs of metallurgical production. The iron ore was not imported. Iron ore exports in January-May 2021 amounted to 18.54 million tonnes (98.2% compared to the same period in 2020).
According to the updated data of Ukrmetalurgprom, in January-May of this year, 14.029 million tonnes of sinter were produced (107.8% versus January-May 2020), 4.107 million tonnes of gross coke with moisture content 6% (102.2%), some 8.903 million tonnes of cast iron (109.1%), some 8.987 million tonnes of steel (108.3%), some 8.023 million tonnes of rolled products (108%), and 390,000 tonnes of pipe products (115.8%).
As of June 10, 2021, of the main operating production facilities 18 out of 21 blast furnaces, seven out of eight open-hearth furnaces, 14 out of 16 converters, five out of 15 electric furnaces and 16 out of 17 continuous casting machines were in operation.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has proposed to the Verkhovna Rada to make the import of 120,000 tonnes of sugar duty-free until October 1, 2021 to stabilize the situation on the market for this product.
The government approved the corresponding draft law at a meeting on June 2.
The draft law proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to supplement Section XXI “Final and Transitional Provisions” of the Customs Code of Ukraine with Clause 4.4, providing for appropriate changes in the taxation of sugar imported into the customs territory of Ukraine.
According to an explanatory note to the document, Ukraine in the 2020/2021 marketing year produced about 1.1 million tonnes of sugar with the demand of the domestic market of at least 1.3 million tonnes due to unfavorable weather and climatic conditions and a reduction in the cultivated areas of sugar beets. The limited supply of sugar on the market caused a sharp rise in prices for this product, while the growth of its imports restrains the depreciation of the hryvnia exchange rate.
The document specifies that the import quota of 120,000 tonnes will be distributed among importers in the order of priority of filing applications with the customs authority.
As reported, the Ministry of Economy in April 2021 announced the impossibility of stabilizing prices on the Ukrainian sugar market using market mechanisms due to a decrease in domestic sugar production. The agency proposed a temporary zeroing of the import duty on the import of 120,000 tonnes of white sugar until October 1, 2021, which will reduce the rush demand for it in the domestic market and ensure the competitive production of sugar-containing products.
According to the ministry, the duty on the import of sugar into Ukraine is currently 50% of its customs value.
