Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 12
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Uzbekistan resumed customs clearance of goods from Ukraine, Trend reports referring to the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine Ukrtsukor.
The association noted that since the mid-November, Uzbekistan has suspended the customs clearance of sugar and other goods arriving in Uzbekistan from Ukraine. The association appealed to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine with a request to resolve the situation.
“Today we have a confirmation from sugar companies and factories that the process of customs clearance [in Uzbekistan] has been resumed, and we hope for further warming of trade relations, because even with all the difficulties, 47 percent of the total sugar exports in November were carried out to Uzbekistan,” Deputy Chairman of Ukrtsukor Ruslan Butilo said.
In early October, an interdepartmental commission in Ukraine launched an anti-subsidy investigation into the import of passenger cars from Uzbekistan on the basis of a complaint by the Ukrainian Automobile Manufacturers Association Ukravtoprom. It noted that the Uzbek manufacturer could receive subsidies from the government of Uzbekistan, which would create unequal conditions for the Ukrainian automakers.
During the investigation, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Ukraine provided official explanations, which had been given in the statement of the Ministry of Economic Development.
In turn, Uzbekistan suspended customs clearance of goods from Ukraine without official statement. In particular, it was reported that Uzbekistan has ceased customs-clearing of pharmaceuticals.
In addition, on Dec. 1, the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine Ukrtsukor stated that sugar and other goods entering Uzbekistan are not unloaded and are not cleared.
As a result, on Dec. 4, Ukraine stopped the anti-subsidy investigation, after which the Ukrainian drugs and pharmaceutical products began to be supplied to Uzbekistan on the same day.
On Dec. 6, during the phone conversation between Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv, the two spoke in favor of ensuring mutual access of goods to the markets of the two countries, as well as the formation of predictable trade relations.
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