UCAB urges retaliatory measures against EU countries that banned Ukrainian agricultural imports

MOSCOW. April 25 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) has demanded that Ukraine's Economy and Trade Ministry conduct an investigation and take retaliatory measures against Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria over these countries' discriminatory ban on the import of a wide range of Ukrainian agricultural products, Ukrainian media said, citing the UCAB press service.

"We expect the situation around the export of agricultural products to be resolved through dialogue, but talks have failed to yield the expected result for more than a week already. Consequently, the Economy and Trade Ministry should open an investigation and consider options for retaliation unless this discrimination against Ukrainian agricultural products stops," UCAB general director Roman Slaston said.

Article 29 of Ukraine's law on external economic activity allows the Economy and Trade Ministry to conduct such an investigation, UCAB said. Materials of this investigation will have to be reviewed by the interagency commission on international trade, which should decide on appropriate measures in response to these states' discriminatory conduct, it said.

"Ukraine's retaliatory measures may be terminated if these states stop their discriminatory conduct toward Ukraine, if a relevant agreement is signed and/or damage is compensated," UCAB said.

A number of European Union countries imposed a temporary ban on the import of a wide range of Ukrainian agricultural products from April 15, 2023. Specifically, Poland did so on April 15, Slovakia on April 17, Hungary on April 18, and Bulgaria on April 24.

These countries, however, permitted the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products through their territory to continue, but in the presence of tighter rules.