Belarus hopes to resolve trade issues with Ukraine soon

        Belarus hopes to resolve all trade disputes with Ukraine in the near future, Director of the Department for Foreign Economic Activity of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus Igor Nazaruk told media. According to Igor Nazaruk, it is not about a conflict or some trade war. “There is little misunderstanding. The way out is seen in a dialogue, cooperation with our Ukrainian partners,” the director of the department said.
The decision of Ukraine’s ministerial commission for international trade to include a special duty on the import of a number of commodities from Belarus has already taken effect. The goods include confectionary, dairy products, incandescent electric lamps, fertilizers and refrigerators. Besides, a special duty is also introduced on the import of Belarusian tires, malt beer and component parts for refrigerating equipment.
The decisions in fact make the supplies of the abovementioned Belarusian commodities to Ukraine economically inadvisable. Belarus that introduced the licensing of the import of beer, some types of macaroni and confectionery products as well as cement, sheet polished glass and glassware cannot view such actions as adequate. First of all, licensing is a temporary measure. Secondly, it was aimed at a number of countries, not just Ukraine. And finally the Belarusian government annulled licensing on the supplies of goods from the countries making the free trade zone agreement, including Ukraine.