Kiev has filed lawsuits at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary after the three countries introduced unilateral bans on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy said on September 18.
Also read: Bulgarian farmers protest against the import of Ukrainian products
Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that it is fundamental for Ukraine to prove that individual EU countries cannot ban the import of Ukrainian goods.
“That is why we are filing cases against them at the WTO,” she said.
“At the same time, we hope that these states will lift their restrictions and that it will not take us long to settle cases in court. We need solidarity from them and protection for our farmers. The steps we have taken and the pressure from the European Commission and other Member States will help restore normal trade between Ukraine and neighboring countries and show solidarity between us.”
According to Svyrydenko, the unilateral ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products has already led to losses for Ukrainian exporters.
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The ministry stated that Ukraine believes that Poland, Slovakia and Hungary are violating their international obligations and that their unilateral actions are “unacceptable.” They pointed out that “all member states of the bloc must coordinate and agree on trade policy, as this falls within the exclusive competence of the EU.”
Also read: Brussels drops the import ban on grain from Ukraine
On September 15, the European Commission decided not to extend the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, provided that Ukraine adheres to certain rules, such as implementing export control measures.
After this, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia announced that they would unilaterally continue the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain. In addition to wheat, rapeseed, sunflowers and corn, Poland has banned the import of groats and flour into the country, while Hungary has expanded the list to 25 products.
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