The meetings of the so‑called GUUAM group generally tend to be long on rhetoric and short on substance. It was therefore a welcome surprise when the presidents of Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova signed a free trade agreement at their most recent summit in Yalta.

Speaking at the close of the Yalta summit, President Leonid Kuchma came out with an unexpectedly ringing endorsement of free trade principles. It would be nice to believe that this statement was a true reflection of his deepest convictions and his vision of Ukraine’s future.

Free trade policies give rise to increased competition, encouraging companies to innovate and create better products, and increasing investment. They help consumers by ensuring that prices remain low and quality high. Free trade also reinforces rule of law, eliminates opportunities for corruption and drives economic growth. By opening markets, even impoverished countries open the way for development of economic and political freedom and increased prosperity.

Unfortunately, some recent actions by Ukraine run directly counter to Kuchma’s declarations. Early this year, Ukraine banned imports of U.S. poultry products, which previously accounted for more than half of domestic poultry consumption. Although the government attributed the ban to health concerns arising from the use of antibiotics on U.S. poultry farms, the suspicion is that the poultry ban was intended to open the Ukrainian market for a well‑connected local producer.

As well as the damage done to bilateral relations with the United States, the ban may endanger Ukraine’s declared goal of entering the World Trade Organization. It will also harm domestic consumers, who will be forced to buy pricier domestic production. Ukraine should put the interests of its impoverished consumers ahead of those of its uncompetitive producers. Admittedly, the domestic poultry industry has improved significantly in recent years, but that was largely due to competitive pressure from U.S. imports. If it really wants to continue raising quality and cutting prices, the last thing the industry needs is to lose that spur.

Last week, the government announced that it would be imposing a prohibitive anti‑dumping duty on Russian automobiles. The effect of that will be to price the popular Lada model out of the Ukrainian market. This move was described as retaliation against Russian restrictions on Ukrainian food and metal exports. The under‑performing domestic automotive industry is set to take advantage of the cut in imports to boost its production.

While such protectionist measures may seem to bring short‑term benefits, they are bad for long‑term competitiveness. Much of Ukrainian industry will never be competitive on world markets, and would ultimately be better left to die. For the sake of Ukrainian consumers and its own future prosperity, the nation should reject protectionism and strive to open its markets as much as possible – regardless of whether Russia, the United States and others agree to drop protectionist measures against Ukrainian products.Ukraine might take a lead from its GUUAM partners, Moldova and Georgia, both of which have been admitted to the WTO. Admission of a basket case like Moldova into the club that continues to reject Ukraine should make the country’s leaders and citizens alike cringe. Admittedly, there are considerably more obstacles to Ukraine with its larger economy joining the WTO. Those obstacles are worth overcoming. It’s time to raise high that free‑trade beacon.