Belarus is introducing an individual licensing regime for a number of Ukrainian goods for six months, Deputy Economy Minister and Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka has said.
“According to recent information, Belarus has introduced an individual licensing regime for the import of a number of Ukrainian goods: confectionery, chocolate, juice, beer, chipboard and fiberboard, wallpaper, toilet paper and packaging, bricks, ceramic tiles, glass ampoules, agricultural machinery for sowing, washing cars and furniture. This decision was approved by resolution of the Council of Ministers of Belarus No. 292 dated May 26,” the trade representative wrote on Facebook on Friday. He said that the decision will enter into force ten days after its publication and is designed for six months.
“Such actions are groundless and discriminatory. The individual licensing regime means manual control over the import of Ukrainian products to Belarus. The government is consulting with manufacturers to eliminate the negative consequences of the discriminatory actions of the Belarusian government,” Kachka said.
At the same time, the trade representative of Ukraine said that these actions of Belarus are related to trade restrictions introduced earlier.
“Everyone is asking not to tie all the events together,” Kachka wrote amid comments that such a decision by Belarus could be the answer to the ban on flights in its airspace of Belarusian airlines imposed by Ukraine.
According to him, this also applies to news about a possible interruption in the supply of A-95 gasoline to Ukraine from Belarus.
“News on gasoline, according to operational information, is associated with technological processes at the refinery of the Belarusian manufacturer and without long-term consequences for the import of gasoline from Belarus. The policy to diversify supplies will be strengthened. But do not panic now,” Kachka said.
Creditwest Bank (Kyiv) and the Export Credit Agency (ECA) have signed a cooperation agreement to stimulate the export of Ukrainian-made goods, the bank’s press service said on Wednesday.
According to the report, the agreement provides for Creditwest Bank’s participation in ECA’s Export Risks Insurance program, within which the agency undertakes insurance of risks under export contracts financed by the bank.
Through the appropriate program Ukrainian companies will be able to attract loans for the implementation of export contracts.
The bank said that the largest loan amount under the program is UAH 2.5 million. The loan term is up to one year. The amount of insurance compensation is set at 85% of the loan amount.
According to the report, the corresponding agreement provides for the use of accelerated procedures for considering applications from the bank by the Export Credit Agency.
The approximate ECA insurance rate will be 1.2% of the loan amount for loans for a period of up to six months, 1.6% – for a period of six to 12 months, depending on the coefficient of the buying country on the OECD scale.
CREDITWEST BANK, EXPORT, EXPORT CREDIT AGENCY, STIMULATE, UKRAINIAN GOODS
The effect of the Generalized System of Preferences, which allows for duty-free import of more than 3,500 types of goods from Ukraine to the United States, has been suspended for 155 types of Ukrainian goods from April 26, the Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Ministry reported on Saturday, May 5. “A total of 155 types of goods fall under the restrictions, in particular, some products of the food, light, woodworking industry, engineering, and some electrical appliances,” the ministry said.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative enacted these restrictions from April 26 this year, 120 days after the publication of the respective presidential proclamation of December 22, 2017.
“The Economic Development and Trade Ministry has been in constant dialogue with the U.S. government and is working to resolve the problem. At the same time, the lifting of the restrictions largely depends on the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of bill No. 7466, known as the bill on the organization of collective management,” the report says. It recalls that the bill drafted by the ministry is aimed at establishing an effective and transparent system of collective management of property rights in the field of copyright and related rights in Ukraine. The document was adopted at first reading on March 1. On April 19, MPs began its consideration at second reading.
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES, ENGINEERING, FOOD PRODUCTS, IMPORT, UKRAINIAN GOODS, USA, WOODWORKING INDUSTRY
