KIEV, October 14. /TASS/. Losses of Ukrainian exporters on the Russian market may amount to five billion hryvnia ($386 million) this year, Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Shlapak, who was in Washington, said in an interview to Ukrinform news agency on Tuesday.
It is very unpleasant that the imposed restrictions lead to problems in Ukrainian-Russian trade relations, he said.
Experts forecast Ukraine’s exports to Russia in 2014 may decrease by 11.6% and imports by 21.1%
Meanwhile, Russia suspects Ukraine of re-exporting banned vegetables and fruit from the EU to Russia.
The Russian federal veterinary and phytosanitary control service (Rosselkhoznadzor) warns it may impose restrictions if it is confirmed, the agency’s chief Sergey Dankvert told TASS on Tuesday.
He said Ukraine considerably increased agricultural supplies to Russia in August and September 2014.
Russian authorities report many-times growth of supplies of vegetables and fruit from Ukraine in August and September as compared to the same period in 2013.
“We will send a letter to Ukraine today (October 14) with a request to explain the considerable increase of agricultural supplies apples, pears, tomatoes and cucumbers after we imposed measures in response to economic sanctions,” Dankvert said.
Russian regions near Ukraine reported two-three-time growth, and one region has even 24-time growth of cucumber supplies and 14-time increase of apple supplies from Ukraine.