The volumes of bilateral trade between the US and Ukraine today have a great potential to increase. A joint cooperation projects should become more focal and effective. This was stated by Deputy Minister for European Integration Ms. Olga Trofimtseva during the sixth meeting of the Ukraine-US Council on Trade and Investment in Washington, DC.
The main topics of discussion in the field of agriculture during the meeting of the Council were the cooperation between Ukraine and the US within the WTO and some issues of bilateral market access of animal products.
In addition, there were discussed issues of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations and non-tariff barriers in agricultural trade (technical barriers to trade, TBTs) between the US representatives and members of the Ukrainian delegation.
Head of State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection of Ukraine Mr. Volodymyr Lapa informed the American party on the expansion of the Service and the work it carries out with the purpose of approximation of Ukrainian legislation in the field of quality control and food safety to EU requirements within the implementation of the DCFTA between the EU and Ukraine.
"The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine is interested in simplifying access of some Ukrainian agricultural products to the US market. Also we are interested in expanding nomenclature of Ukrainian agricultural products for exports and further development of bilateral cooperation between our countries", - said the Deputy Minister on European Integration.
Ukrainian and American parties exchanged information on the system of notifications of new regulations on agriculture under and within the WTO. It was also agreed on more active exchange of experience in this field.
It is much interesting for us an experience of functioning of a full and complete web-platform on SPS/TBT issues for American manufacturers, and effective electronic information system on new notifications within the WTO for domestic producers. "Implementation of such a system for Ukrainian exporters with the possible support of our US colleagues would allow Ukrainian companies to operate on international markets more effectively," - Olga Trofimtseva said during the meeting.
For information:
Based on the results of first 7 months of 2016 the trade turnover between Ukraine and the USA increased by 6.3% or 7,6 mln USD compared to the same period of the last year due to increase of imported volumes and reached 127.5 million USD. The balance of trade is negative: - 85,9 million USD.
During the reporting period the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to the US amounted 20.8 million USD by 22.7% or 6.1 million USD less than by the results of 7 months of 2015).