MOLDOVAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES AMENDMENTS TO AGREEMENT ON FREE TRADE WITH UKRAINE

The Government approved on Wednesday evening, October 21, amendments to the free trade agreement with Ukraine. According to this decision, the changes imply a revision of the rules for accounting for the origin of goods used in bilateral trade.

In practice, the native producers might import raw materials and components coming from Ukraine and subsequently, processing them in Moldova and exporting the finished good to the European Union; they are to be accompanied by certificates of Moldovan origin, without the payment of customs duty, according to the current preferential regime.

The changes should be discussed and approved during negotiations with the Ukrainian side, for which the Ministry of Economy will be responsible.

The approval of amendments comes in the context when Ukraine has been enforcing, starting from January 2019, the provisions of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin (PEM Convention) in the trade with the European Union. Moldova became member of the PEM Convention in 2015.