Ukrainian govt expands list of agricultural products subject to export licensing

MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government has expanded a list of agricultural products subject to licensing to be exported to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania, as follows from a directive dated October 31, which endorses export quotas for 2023 and lists of products whose exports and imports must be licensed, Ukrainian media reported with reference to the official government website.

In line with the document, the list of agricultural products subject to licensing now includes wheat, wheat and rye mix (meslin), barley, oats, corn, soybeans, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, and oil cakes.

Export licensing was earlier applied only to wheat, corn, rapeseeds, and sunflower seeds.

"Applications for licenses to export products listed in this annex shall be considered in line with a procedure established by the Economy Ministry, provided that an exporter seeking such a license submits a valid VAT payer certificate and a certificate on opening a bank account by a nonresident (product buyer)," the directive says.

Licenses to export products indicated in this annex shall be issued within 10 working days from the date of receipt of an Economy Ministry application for a license to export such products.

Companies included in a list of verified exporters will not have to apply for licenses. The list is being compiled by the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry under an experimental project for verifying agribusiness sector operators during martial law.

Applications for licenses to export these products to Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland shall be considered within 30 days in line with a procedure established by the Economy Ministry.

Licenses to export these agricultural products shall be issued based on clearances from the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry following bilateral consultations with partners within 15 days. The duration of this period shall be counted from the date of receipt of an Economy Ministry application for a license to export said products other than by a verified exporter through interagency information exchange.

The directive will take effect ten days after its publication.