Ukraine imposes export bans, quotas amid trade challenge
Analysts view these steps as part of Ukraine's broader strategy to ensure domestic supply while fulfilling international trade commitments.
The Ukrainian government issued a decree on Wednesday banning the export of certain goods requiring licenses and quotas for 2025, including gas, gold, and salt.
"To approve for 2025: the volume of quotas of goods, the list of controlled substances, the list of goods and equipment that may contain controlled substances, the export of which is to be licensed; the list of goods (agricultural products), the volume of quotas of goods, the export of which to the Member States of the European Union is subject to licensing," the document said.
As part of the resolution, the government has introduced "zero quotas" for the export of several commodities in 2025, including salt, steam coal, natural gas, fuel wood, silver, gold, and precious metal waste or scrap. Export quotas have also been set for 1.3 million tonnes of "K" grade coking coal and 400,000 tonnes of fuel oil. Additionally, licensing requirements have been imposed for various agricultural products such as wheat, corn, sunflower seeds, sugar, poultry, and others.
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These regulations build on an earlier announcement in September 2023 by the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy. At the time, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a new export procedure requiring licenses for the export of corn, rapeseed, sunflower, and wheat to EU countries.
Trade struggles
The measures come amid increased scrutiny of Ukraine's trade policies and ongoing challenges with international partners. The European Union, for instance, has imposed tariffs on certain Ukrainian agricultural exports, including eggs, oats, and sugar, adding further complexity to trade dynamics.
Analysts view these steps as part of Ukraine's broader strategy to ensure domestic supply while fulfilling international trade commitments.
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