The Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade has extended for five months the antidumping investigation into Ukraine’s import of plywood originating from Belarus, initiated on June 22, 2020.
The decision of the commission of July 13, 2021 to initiate an investigation comes into force from the moment of its publication, it is indicated in the notification published in the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper dated July 23.
“The commission, in accordance with the adopted decision, decided to extend the antidumping investigation into the import of plywood originating from the Republic of Belarus to Ukraine by 18 months,” the notice says.
As reported, the said antidumping investigation, the decision on which entered into force on June 25, 2020, was initiated by Ukraine on the basis of complaints from Ukrainian companies, namely Kostopil Plywood Plant LLC, Ukrhosptovary Private Enterprise, Uniplit LLC, Standard 2002 LLC, Start production cooperative.
According to the applicants, during the observation period up to the third quarter of 2019, the share of plywood imports from Belarus increased in absolute terms by 691%, in terms of consumption – by 559%, and production – by 858%. At the same time, the price of imported plywood was higher than the price of the applicant (except for 2016-2017), which led to a negative trend in its performance in the domestic market.
The Ukrainian government has broadened its list of banned Russian commodities to include Portland, alumina, blast furnace, sulfate resistant, and similar types of neat cement, both dyed and non-dyed, ready-to-use or clinker, as well as plywood, veneered boards, and similar plywood materials.
The decision was made at a government meeting on Wednesday.
“It is prohibited to import into Ukraine such groups of Russian commodities as industrial goods, mineral fertilizers, agricultural products, and transportation vehicles, including cement and plywood,” the Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development and Trade Minister, Stepan Kubiv, said presenting the resolution.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ukraine imported almost $17 million worth of cement products from Russia in 2018, while plywood imports amounted to $19.7 million over that period.
