Ukraine has decided to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, which have said they will ban imports of its own agricultural products. Ukrainian agricultural trade problem seems to cause cracks in the European Union (EU) solidarity.
Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko said in a statement on the 18th (local time), “It is quite important for us to prove that individual countries cannot ban the import of Ukrainian goods,” and “This is why we are filing a lawsuit.” “We hope that these countries will lift restrictions (on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products),” Sviridenko said. “We hope that there will be no need to resolve this issue in court for a long time.” It also added that Ukrainian traders “continue to suffer tremendous losses” from these import restrictions.
The cracks in solidarity over Ukraine became a reality after the European Union decided to lift temporary import restrictions on Ukrainian grain, which it had allowed five Eastern European countries for about five months since May. Last year, the European Union decided to give tariff-free benefits to Ukrainian grain, which blocked export routes through Black Sea ports due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, but applied emergency import restrictions (safety guards) to four items, including wheat, corn, dairy, and sunflower seeds, after Eastern European countries, including Poland, protested citing plunging prices of their agricultural products. However, the measure expired at midnight on the 15th, and the European Commission decided to end the measure, saying that the market distortion phenomenon has disappeared. However, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia said they would continue to ban imports of grain from Ukraine. At a time when the European Union is concerned that such unilateral measures are harmful to European solidarity, Ukraine, the party, has protested with a concrete action of filing a World Trade Organization complaint. Ukraine is even hinting at the possibility of retaliating against the three countries with its own trade restrictions.
The European Union is considering countermeasures. European Union Environment Commissioner Virginia Schinkevicius also called for the withdrawal of the three countries’ measures, saying they violate European Union trade policies. However, if Ukraine actually continues its lawsuit, the European Union could be in a difficult position to defend these three member countries, not non-member Ukraine.
