PRESS RELEASE 
 
PRESS/511 
5 February 2008 
 
(08-0519) 
ACCESSIONS  
WTO welcomes Ukraine as a new member 
The General Council today paved the way for Ukraine’s membership in the WTO by approving its 
accession terms.  
 “ Ukraine’s WTO membership will strengthen the multilateral trading system and provide this 
country with a stable and predictable trade environment that will boost its growth and prosperity. 
I am particularly pleased to welcome to the WTO President Victor Yushchenko, whose personal commitment to his country’s accession was a major factor in the successful outcome to these 
negotiations. “ declared Director-General Pascal Lamy. 
 Ukraine’s President Victor Yushchenko declared “Ukraine’s membership to the WTO is truly an 
historic moment and is a decisive milestone in the development of our economy. We are convinced 
that our efforts will yield results and allow us to build closer economic ties worldwide. “  
 
Ukraine applied for WTO membership in 1993, and the Working Party concluded the negotiations 
on 25 January 2008 under the chairmanship of Chile’s Ambassador Mario Matus. The General Council approved the Working Party report, the market access schedules on goods and services, 
the General Council Decision and the Protocol of Accession. 
 Ukraine would have to ratify the deal by 4 Ju ly 2008. An extension of this deadline would be 
possible if necessary. Ukraine will become a WTO member 30 days after the ratification.  
 Amongst the commitments undertaken by Ukraine are the following: 
 
Market access for goods  
As outlined in Ukraine’s market access schedules, Ukraine will have its customs duties capped at 
rates ranging between zero and 50% (bound rates) . Some bindings involve reductions phased in 
over a period of up to 2013.  
 
Ukraine’s average tariff bindings are 10.66% for agricultural products and 4.95% for industrial goods.  
 
The highest tariffs Ukraine may apply are on items such as sugar (50%) and sunflower seed oil (30%). Other products with tariff ceilings of 25% include certain radio-broadcast receivers, catgut, 
and certain conveyor/transmission belts.  
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 Product categories with lower tariffs that will initially or eventually be eliminated include civil 
aircraft, construction equipment, distilled spirits,  certain types of fish, pharmaceuticals, certain 
chemicals and petroleum oils, medical equipment, wood, pulp & paper, certain yarn and fabric, 
certain base metals, steel, information technology products (ITA), furniture, and toys.    
 
Ukraine has agreed not to apply any “other duties and charges” — beyond its ordinary customs duties. 
 
In agriculture, Ukraine has agreed not to subsidize exports. Ukraine will limit its trade-distorting domestic support provided to farmers to UAH3, 04 billion (approximately UDS613 million) as well 
as an allowance of 5% of the value of domestic agricultural production. As with all WTO members, 
Ukraine will have no spending limits on domestic support programmes that have no or minimal impact on trade, provided these programmes meet  the criteria laid down in the Agreement on 
Agriculture.  
 Ukraine will open a tariff quota on raw cane sugar (260 000 tonnes annually, and increasing to 
267 000 tonnes by 2010). This quota will be administered on a first-come first-served basis within 
3 years of accession.  
Market access for services 
 Ukraine has made specific commitments in all 11 “core” service sectors — including business 
services, communication services, construction and related engineering services, distribution, 
education and environmental services, financial services (insurance and banking), health and social services, tourism and travel, recreational, cultural and sporting services, and transport 
services — as well as in other areas including beauty, hairdressing, spa and massage services.  
 Ukraine’s accession documents  
 
• Ukraine’s commitments on goods — a 890-page lis t (or “schedule”) of tariffs, quotas and 
ceilings on agricultural subsidies, and in some cases the timetable for phasing in the tariff cuts 
 
• Ukraine’s commitments on services — a 40-page document (also a “schedule”) outlining the 
services in which Ukraine is giving access to foreign service providers on a non-discriminatory 
basis and any additional conditions, including limits on foreign ownership 
 • The Working Party report — a 240 page document describing Ukraine’s legal and institutional 
set up for trade, along with commitments it ha s made in many of the areas covered by the 
report. 
 
Background information on Ukraine 
 Ukraine became independent after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.  
 
Europe’s second largest country by area, Ukraine is a land of agriculture and heavy industry with a population of 46.6 million people. 
 
In 2006, Ukraine's nominal GDP reached USD106.1 billion (source from World Bank).   PRESS/511 
Page 3 of 5 
 
 
Merchandise exports/imports(2006) 
 
• Merchandise exports: USD38.368 billion 
• Merchandise imports: USD45.035 billion  
 
Services exports/imports(2006)  
 
• Commercial services exports: USD10.671 billion  
• Commercial services imports: USD8.484 billion  
 
Main exports 
 
Ukraine’s main exports are ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products . Agricultural products account for 13.4% of 
Ukraine’s exports while manufactured products account for almost 72% and fuels and mining for 
13.6% (figures for 2006).   
Main imports  
 Ukraine’s main imports are energy, machinery, eq uipment and chemicals. Agricultural products 
account for almost 8% of Ukraine’s imports while manufactured products account for 59.6% and 
fuels and mining for 31.5% (figures for 2006).   
Trading partners 
 Ukraine’s main trading partners are the EC, Russia, Turkey, Belarus and the US.  
 
Commitments contained in the Working Party report
 
 
Privatization: Ukraine will provide regular reports to WTO Members on the developments of its 
privatization program and on other issues related to its economic reforms.  
State owned enterprises : Upon accession, Ukraine’s laws governing trading activities of state-
owned enterprises will fully conform to the WTO provisions. All state-owned enterprises will operate on a commercial basis. Within one year of accession, Ukraine will notify and provide 
information on the activities of these companies to the WTO. 
 Pricing policies : Price controls will be applied in accordance with WTO principles and will take 
into account the interest of exporting WTO members.  
 Upon accession, Ukraine will not apply mandat ory minimum prices on imported products.  
 
All rail transportation fees will be applied on a non-discriminatory basis.   
Ukraine will continue to publish a list of goods and services for which prices are determined by the 
government.  
Policy-making and enforcement framework:  Ukraine will uniformly implement WTO provisions 
and the protocol of accession on its whole territory. Upon accession, Ukraine will provide for the right to appeal administrative rulings on WTO matters to an independent tribunal. 
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 Trading rights (the right to import and export) : Registration fees for medicines, pesticides 
and agricultural chemicals, as well as licensing fees for the import and export of alcohol beverages 
and tobacco products, will be in compliance with WTO requirements and will be brought to the level of the cost of services provided.  
 
Individuals and companies wishing to import/export w ill not be required to have physical presence 
or investments in Ukraine and will only need to register with the relevant authorities.  
 
Fees and charges for services rendered : Ukraine will apply fees according to WTO principles 
and information regarding these fees will be  provided to WTO members upon request.  
 
Internal taxes (VAT and excise tax) : Domestic taxes will be applied in a non-discriminatory 
manner to imports from WTO members and to domestically produced goods. 
 
Quantitative import restrictions, import licensing : Upon accession, Ukraine will eliminate and 
not introduce, re-introduce or apply quantitative restrictions on imports or other non-tariff 
measures that could not be justified under the WTO Agreement.  
 Ukraine will not introduce a ban on ground beef that could not be justified under WTO rules and 
will maintain transparent and science based standards for trade in this product. 
 Ukraine will eliminate the import ban on buses, trucks and cars older than eight years.  
 
Ukraine will implement its import licensing proc edures in conformity with the WTO Agreement. 
 
Customs valuation : Full implementation of the Custom  Valuation Agreement upon accession 
 Rules of origin : Full implementation of the Rules of Origin Agreement upon accession 
 
Other custom formalities : An expert opinion of the Chamber of Commerce regarding the 
classification of goods will no longer be required to obtain import or export licences.  
 
Pre-shipment inspections : If introduced, pre-shipment inspections will be temporary and will 
comply with the WTO rules.  
 
Anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguard regimes : Upon accession, Ukraine will 
amend its trade remedies legislation so that such measures will only be applied in conformity with 
WTO rules. 
 
Export duties : Ukraine will reduce its export duties on oilseeds, live cattle, animal skins, ferrous 
and non ferrous particles. From the date of accession Ukraine will not apply any obligatory minimum export prices.  
 
Export restrictions : Such measures, including export licensing requirements, will only be applied 
in conformity with WTO rules.  
 
Upon accession, export bans on nonferrous scrap me tal will be eliminated and Ukraine will remove 
export restrictions on grains, as well as those on precious metals and stones other than gold, 
silver, and diamonds. 
 Industrial policy, subsidies : Upon accession, Ukraine will eliminate all export and import-
substitution subsidies.  PRESS/511 
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Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) : Ukraine will comply with the TBT agreement upon 
accession.   
Ukraine will give priority to international standards over regional and other national ones. 
 All national and regional standards will be voluntary, except those referred to in technical 
regulations intended to protect national security interests, prevent deceptive practices, protect the 
life and health of people, animals or plants, as well as protect the environment. By 30 December 2011, all of Ukraine’s technical regulations will be based on the relevant international standards.  
 
Ukraine’s technical regulation on shelf-life for fish  will be brought into conformity with the CODEX 
alimentarius guidelines.  
 
Ukraine will reduce further the number of products subject to mandatory third party certification and will notify the revised list to the WTO by 31 January 2012.  
 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) : Ukraine will comply with the SPS agreement upon accession 
and will streamline the responsibilities of its supervisory and control bodies in the SPS area.  
 
Ukraine will not block imports of meat and meat products treated with hormones.  
TRIMs:  Ukraine will not maintain any measures inconsistent with the TRIMs agreement from the 
date of accession.   
Free zones : Such zones will be administered in compliance with WTO provisions.  
 Government procurement:  Upon accession, Ukraine will become an observer to the plurilateral 
Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and will start negotiations to become a Party to this 
Agreement.   
Civil Aircraft : Ukraine will become a signatory to the plurilateral Civil Aircraft Agreement in 2010.  
 TRIPS : Full implementation of the TRIPS Agreement upon accession. 
 
Regional trade agreements : Ukraine will, upon accession, submit notifications and copies of its 
Free Trade Areas and Custom Union Agreements to the WTO. 
 
 
END