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Ukraine and North Macedonia expand FTA
KYIV. Oct 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine and North Macedonia have agreed to expand the free trade area, which will give Ukraine, in particular, access to the Macedonian market for products of animal origin and finished products and strengthen the position of Ukrainian producers in European and global value chains, said Deputy Minister of Economy – Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka.
"The updated agreement with North Macedonia is another step towards greater integration of Ukrainian producers into European and trans-regional value chains and Ukraine’s transition to an export-oriented, high value-added economy," said Taras Kachka, who led the Ukrainian negotiating team during the preparation of the document.
He stressed that now the market of North Macedonia is open to more groups of Ukrainian agricultural products.
According to the website of the Ministry of Economy, access to the market of North Macedonia will be open to cattle and pork meat, chicken meat and fresh, chilled and frozen offal, milk, cream, barley, corn, butter, sugar, confectionery. The market is also open to mineral water, vinegar, walnuts, cereals, malt extracts, finished products based on coffee essence and concentrate, ice cream, food mixtures or products from animal or vegetable fats, canned meat products, etc.
Kachka added that, in addition, Ukrainian manufacturers of industrial products will be able to use components made in Macedonia for products that will be sold in the EU.
"It is also important that through the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean Preferential Rules of Origin (PEM Convention), the markets of Ukraine and Macedonia are integrated with the markets of the EU and other countries," Kachka added.
The Ministry of Economy recalled that the free trade agreement between North Macedonia and Ukraine was signed in 2001.
In 2021, Ukrainian exports of goods to North Macedonia amounted to $120.1 million, imports – $22.2 million. For the nine months of 2022, exports amounted to $63.7 million, imports – $21.7 million.
