March 13, 2007

Poland still unable to export meat in Ukraine
 

After many months of trade discussions between Poland and Ukraine, Polish meat exporters are still unable to penetrate the Ukrainian market due to low prices and high duties.

Witold Choinski, CEO of the Polish Association of Meat Producers Exporters and Importers said shipping meat to Ukraine is not profitable despite exporters' effort to make commercial contacts in the territory.

Duty amounts to 0.6 to 0.8 percent of the price plus EUR 1 for every kilogramme. It cannot be lower than 10 percent, though.

Choinski said that they are checking whether the tariffs are similar for other countries.

Businessmen expect that German meat, very popular in Ukraine, may be imported there via Russia. Tariffs would have to fall by 50 percent to make Polish exports profitable while prices would have to grow a little bit.

Choinski said the Polish Ministry of Economy is trying to negotiate the tariffs but admits "are not expecting a quick breakthrough".

Companies still hope for a change as Polish red meat producer PKM Duda CEO Maciej Duda said continuous trade talks will bring forth positive results.

On the other hand, exports to Asian markets such as South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong have been on the uptrend which indicates a good start for Polish meat exports, notes Duda.