Piatnytsky: Talks on change in WTO tariffs not to worsen Ukraine's trade
2012-12-07 12:06:28
The terms of Ukraine's trade will not worsen due to the beginning of talks on a change in 371 tariff lines within the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The government's commissioner for Ukraine's European integration, Valeriy Piatnytsky, announced this in comments to UKRINFORM.
"I am confident that these negotiations will not worsen the terms of our trade with any country," Piatnytsky said.
He noted that Ukraine was open to free trade and that such negotiations were being conducted. But in order to trade, the country should produce goods, create jobs, and the welfare of citizens should grow. "If the gross trade turnover is USD 500 billion, rather than USD 130-150 billion, then, I think, Ukraine will be a much more interesting partner," the government commissioner said.
He said that under WTO rules, on December 12 a certain period of time will be given to Ukraine to hold negotiations on a change in tariff lines, as it was previously announced. "As a rule, if the issue concerns a small number of tariff lines, then 60 days are given for negotiations. I'm not so optimistic to say that we will finish these talks in 60 days... But there are already countries that clearly noted their interest, and they clearly outlined tariff lines. As a rule, they are few countries with which negotiations will be held," Piatnytsky added.
The government's commissioner for European integration also said that the objective of a change in 371 tariff lines is, first and foremost, to simplify the terms of trade. "We want to walk the path of simplification. It's not a way to improve the customs tariff protection, it's a way to move to trade facilitation through modification, and these are better terms of trade," he said, adding that of the 371 tariff lines 147 are industrial goods and 224 are agricultural goods.