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WTO sets up conciliation group on Russia-Ukraine ammonium nitrate dispute

Ukraine increased antidumping measures on import of ammonium nitrate from Russia in July 2014 for five years

© EPA/PHOTO KEYSTONE/Laurent Gillieron

GENEVA, April 22. /TASS/. The WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body established a conciliation group at Russia’s request in its dispute with Ukraine over its antidumping measure against ammonium nitrate of Russian origin. The DSB passed such a resolution at its meeting on Friday.

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Ukraine earlier blocked the decision on the conciliation group setup at the previous DSB meeting on March 23. Kiev exercised the right granted to the party, against whose action a complaint is presented. A request to set up a conciliation group may be blocked only once. The decision to establish the group is made tacitly upon the repeated consideration.

The Russian side disputes the so-called "energy corrections" procedure and believes it violates over 20 provisions in the WTO antidumping agreement, Russia’s WTO mission told TASS on Friday.

"Antidumping duties imposed on ammonium nitrate produced in Russia resulted in unjustified restrictions of its import. Findings of the antidumping investigation performed by Kiev and their implementation leave the Russian side perplexed. We believe duties set on the Russian ammonium nitrate do not correspond to the Organization’s law," the Russian mission said.

Ukraine increased antidumping measures on import of ammonium nitrate from Russia in July 2014 for five years. The Russian side initiated a dispute in the WTO in May 2015.

Formal consultations within the dispute framework were held in June 2015, the Russian Economic Development Ministry said earlier. Consultations did not result in a mutually acceptable way to settle it, the ministry reported.

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