Russia will impose an import quota on Ukrainian-made pipe, despite day-long negotiations between the two sides
‘MS Mincho'”>KYIV, Apr. 11 (Ukrainian News) – Despite Russian and Ukrainian officials holding 10-hours worth of negotiations on the issue, a Russian government representative said that Russia will impose a quota on Ukrainian pipe imports.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia said what the size of the import quota would be, the Russian source told Ukrainian news on Tuesday, immediately following the negotiations.
According to the Russian government’s information department, Russia was still insisting on limiting Ukrainian pipe imports to Russia to 480 thousand tons per year, down from the 788 thousands tons of pipe exported to Russia last year.
Russia has accused Ukraine’s government-subsidized pipe-manufacturing industry of exporting large quantities of Ukrainian pipe to Russia at dumping prices, hurting Russian pipe manufacturers in the process.
Following talks with Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov on Tuesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko told journalists that the size of the quota that Russia plans to impose would satisfy Russia and would also be acceptable to Ukraine.
Yushchenko added that quotas would not be set for some types of Ukrainian pipe.
“A long discussion was held. Tens of mechanisms and an even greater number of instruments were considered,” Yushchenko said.
The Russian source cited by Ukrainian News said that quotas might not be set for Ukrainian pipes produced from Russian billets.
Earlier, Russia intended to either set a quota for Ukrainian pipe, or slap a 40 percent duty on their import.
Ukraine and Russia failed throughout last year to resolve the sensitive Ukrainian pipe-import issue.
According to Economy Ministry data, Ukrainian pipe factories manufactured 1.7 million tons of pipe last year, two-thirds of which were exported, including 788,000 tons to Russia.
