Exporters of Belarusian goods to Ukraine in the next year will have to pay an additional fee due to “unfriendly behavior” of Belarus.
On January 20, 2016, the Ukrainian Commission on International Trade will introduce a special duty on Belarusian goods in the amount of 39.2% of the product’s customs value. The reason for such a step are hostile and discriminatory, according to Ukraine, actions of the Belarusian side. The official report of the interdepartmental commission highlights the issue of discrimination in Belarus of Ukrainian confectionary and beer industries.
This step of Ukrainian customs is associated with the Resolution 666 of the Belarus Council of Ministers, which entered into force on 27 August and concerns the examination of foreign-made goods. The review process is not registered properly: it does not identify any laboratories, necessary to obtain such a certificate, or specific safety indicators. Although Belarusian officials claimed that honest importers will get the benefits and the Ukrainian goods will not become more expensive, it is clear that the Ukrainian confectioners and breweries, which have been widely presented in the Belarusian market, have begun to bear heavy losses.
New duties will be levied in Ukraine on almost all Belarusian goods – from herring to socks, from linen shirts to tractors.
The report said that the fee will be canceled after the cessation of discrimination against Ukrainian goods in Belarus.
