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.
