KYIV, Apr. 10 (Ukrainian News) – Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko on Tuesday traveled to Moscow to discuss with Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov Ukrainian pipe exports to Russia.
Despite earlier negotiations, the Russian and Ukrainian sides have essentially failed to agree limiting the import of Ukrainian-made pipe into Russia, which the latter says are sold in Russia at dumping prices. Russia has said that it wanted to either slap a 40 percent import duty on Ukrainian pipe, or restrict their import into Russia to 480 thousand tons annually.
Last year, Ukraine exported 788 thousand tons of pipe to Russia.
During his Moscow visit, Ukraine’s premier will try to persuade Russian officials to abandon their plan to impose a 40 percent duty and will try to reach agreement on an annual import quota that will be more acceptable to Ukrainian pipe manufacturers than the proposed 480 thousand tons.
As part of his package of proposals to solve the sensitive Ukrainian pipe import issue, Yushchenko plans to offer the Russian prime minister the imposition of minor restrictions on pipe imports, including seasonal quotas or indicative prices.
During talks with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Kudrin in Moscow last week, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Dubyna reached agreement on postponing Russia’s final decision on Ukrainian pipe imports until April 15.
