Ukraine looks at export duty on hides

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has sent a draft law to Parliament which provides for the abolition of export duty on cattle and hides, according to the Interfax news agency. An official from the Agricultural Policy Ministry said the abolition of the duty is needed in order for Ukraine to exploit the current high demand for cattle and on the world market and for the country to find new customers worldwide. The law on 'Export of Cattle and Hides', dating from 1996, set an export duty of 30% of the customs value but no lower than ECU (European Currency Units) 400 per tonne on cattle hides. The export duty on sheepskins was set at 30% and on pigskins 27% but not less than ECU170 per tonne, while the duty on cattle was set at 75% but not less than ECU1,500 per tonne. The Ukrainian Parliament has repeatedly turned down previous attempts to have these duties abolished.