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Ukraine suspends WTO complaint against Poland, Slovakia, Hungary over grain imports: officials

05.10.2023 17:00
The government in Kyiv has suspended its complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary over these countries' bans on food imports from Ukraine, officials said on Thursday.
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Pixabay LicenseImage by OLEKSII ALIEKSIEIEV from Pixabay

Ukrainian Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka told reporters in Brussels that his country was seeking to work out a "comprehensive solution" to the dispute in talks with the European Union, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus tweeted: "Thanks to our concerted efforts, Ukraine has suspended its WTO complaint against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary."

In early May, the European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation EU, introduced a ban on the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed, sunflower and sunflower oil from Ukraine to Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, based on an agreement with these countries.

The embargo was later extended until September 15, after which date Brussels decided not to prolong it further, the PAP news agency reported.

To protect their farmers, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia introduced national bans on Ukrainian grain imports.

Ukraine, in response, filed a lawsuit against the three countries at the World Trade Organisation over their grain import bans, according to officials. 

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Source: IAR, PAP