The Economy Secretariat (Secretaría de Economía) of Mexico has announced the launch of an administrative procedure for reviewing safeguard duties imposed on hot rolled sheets originated from Ukraine and Russia.
According to the announcement made on March 26, 2020 on official website of the Mexican government bulletin, the duties are being reviewed as the duties imposed earlier expired.
According to the document, safeguard duties on hot rolled sheets were imposed by Mexico on March 28, 2000 in the amount of 46.66% for Ukraine and 30.31% for Russia. On March 17, 2006, the duties were extended. After the new revision on September 8, 2011 it was decided to cut the duties for Ukraine to 25% and to 21% for Russia. On January 28, 2016 it was decided to extend the duties.
Ukraine would receive income of $15 billion in five years of transit of Russian natural gas, according to Minister of Energy and Environment Protection of Ukraine Oleksiy Orzhel. “The approximate income with which Ukraine left this meeting [the meeting in Minsk on December 20, following which Ukraine-Russia-EC signed an intergovernmental protocol], is more than $3 billion for arbitration and approximately $3 billion for transit each year during five years,” the minister wrote in his column for the Ekonomichna Pravda (Economic Truth) publication on Tuesday.
“Thus, in five-year outlook, we will receive about $18 billion, of which $3 billion is ‘natural’ money – before the New Year. And this is without any enslaving conditions regarding the purchase of Russian gas,” Orzhel said.
At the same time, he said that at the meeting in Minsk the parties made significant progress, however, at present, the risk of not signing the new contract still exists.
“The protocol is not an agreement yet. In the last week of December, our companies will draft the text. But until the agreement itself has been signed, there is no transit. Can the other side change its mind at the last moment? Yes. Are we ready for this? Yes. But if this happens, Gazprom will suffer all image losses,” the minister added.
Six companies have bought access to 1.1 GW of interstate network carrying capacity for importing electricity from the Russian Federation to Ukraine in December, according to information on the website of Ukrenergo. Thus, TAS Energy of Sergiy Tigipko bought 350 MW (24.6% more compared to the access capacity purchased in November). Ukrtorgenergy LLC acquired an additional 300 MW of capacity in December (Volodymyr Lytvynchuk is the ultimate beneficiary of the company founded in May 2019, while in mid-August the core business changed from electricity production to trade), which in November gained access to only 10 MW. The next largest one in terms of volume is ONK Group with 150 MW. At the November auction, this company failed to gain access to the section.
In turn, United Energy LLC (which has contracts for the supply of energy to the enterprises of Ihor Kolomoisky and the Surkis brothers) bought access to 100 MW in December (against 500 MW in November), and ETG LLC bought the same amount.
Access to the capacity for imports from Belarus was obtained by D Trading (Donbasenergo of Maksym Yefimov) and ERU Trading LLC (the Energy Resources of Ukraine group of companies) in the amount of 450 MW and 50 MW respectively.
D Trading also bought access to 404 MW for imports from Moldova and 85 MW from Hungary.
Ukraine, the European Commission and the Russian Federation held technical consultations in Brussels on Tuesday to prepare for the next round of trilateral talks on gas transit after January 1, 2020.
NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy said in a press release that during the consultations the parties discussed Ukraine’s progress in the implementation of the norms of the European legislation and the creation of independent gas transmission system operator.
In addition, the signing of an interconnection agreement between the operators of the gas transmission systems of Ukraine and the Russian Federation on standard European conditions was discussed, as well as the methodology of tariff formation for gas transportation, and other issues.
The next round of trilateral gas transit negotiations is expected to take place on October 28.
U.S. President Donald Trump has congratulated Ukraine and Russia on the successful implementation of the mutual release of persons held by the states, calling it a “giant step towards peace.”
“Russia and Ukraine just swapped large numbers of prisoners. Very good news, perhaps a first giant step to peace. Congratulations to both countries!” he said on Twitter.
Belarus could host Olympic Games together with Russia or Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
“Of course, it is hard for us to compete with giants, but we can host the Olympics together with, let us say, Ukrainians or Russians,” the BelTA state news agency cited Lukashenko as saying in Brest.
Facilities for the Olympic Games are ready in Belarus, he said. “We’re going to build the national soccer stadium and a facility for water sports now, and soccer remains. Russia has the infrastructure for soccer. We can easily host the Olympics with them. And here, in Belarus, we can host mostly the Summer Olympics with the help of Russians or Ukrainians. They have facilities we’re lacking,” Lukashenko said.
Belarus hosted the Second European Games in June.
