The United States is concerned about Ukraine's intention to revise tariff bindings within the World Trade Organization (WTO), as this could undermine the multilateral trading system.
A posting on the Web site of U.S. Trade Representative reads that Ambassador Ron Kirk said this at a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko on November 30.
“Ambassador Kirk expressed strong U.S. concern about Ukraine’s request to alter tariff bindings on more than 350 products that it agreed to when it joined the WTO in 2008,” reads the statement.
Kirk also stressed that “this action is unprecedented and could undermine the multilateral trading system.”
“Which is why almost all of Ukraine’s significant trading partners – over a third of all WTO Members – have joined us in raising similar concerns,” he said.
Kirk and Hryschenko agreed to continue working to increase trade and investment between the U.S. and Ukraine, including in the bilateral Trade and Investment Council.
According to the information on the Web site, in early November Kirk has expressed concern about the issue in a letter to Ukraine’s First Vice premier Valeriy Khoroshkovsky.
As reported, on November 22 Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said that Ukraine is negotiating with the WTO on the possible revision of the terms of the country’s accession to the organization.
“We are holding specific talks and seeking compromises, and I think we will find them,” he said at a meeting with representatives of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine.
Ukraine proposed to revise many conditions of its accession to the WTO.
On November 26, WTO member states called on Ukraine to call off its request to revise its tariff bindings. A relevant statement was approved at a meeting of the Council for Trade in Goods.
Ukraine joined the WTO on May 16, 2008 and became the 152th member of the organization.
