News date: 18 October 2018
On 17 October 2018 Ilyashev & Partners held a Conference entitled “Trade Wars: Ukrainian Business Under Threat?” which was supported by Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
The participants of the conference discussed the WTO crisis and reform initiatives, as well as the risks which various countries may face in case of the application of export restrictions, shared their experience in protecting Ukrainian business at the foreign markets, provided the ideas regarding the modernization of the Ukrainian economy and the opportunities of Ukrainian business that are opening due to the introduction of trade barriers by the U.S.
“Trade wars inflict irreparable damage to both countries that are directly-involved, and to the world trade in general, – said Olena Omelchenko, the Head of International Trade Practice at Ilyashev & Partners. – Ukraine is no exception, and in the near future Ukrainian metallurgy industry may be the first to take a blow as a result of unilateral application by the U.S. of customs duties, as well as a result of the corresponding protective measures introduced by the EU countries and Turkey”.
The special session at the conference was devoted to the review of the measures of trade protection and investigations conducted in Ukraine, the priorities chosen and approaches adopted by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine in initiating and conducting investigations, issues of expert control and the particular features of Ukrainian practices, as well as specific characteristics of drafting and executing the foreign economic agreements.
Speakers for the conference included: Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Industrial Policy & Entrepreneurship Victor Galasiuk, Partner of an international law firm Jones Day Renato Antonini, the Deputy Director of the Department for access to markets and cooperation with WTO at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Iryna Vrublеvska, the Head of the Contractual and General Legal Department of the Directorate for Legal Support of METINVEST HOLDING Ivan Yurchenko, Vice-President of the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Denis Krasnikov, Director of trade protection department of Trade protection department at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Nataliya Sydoruk, Executive Director of UkrFa Sergiy Kudriavtsev, Director of State Research and Development Institute of Modernization and Economic Simulation Petro Nebotov, the President of Association Ukrkondprom Oleksandr Baldyniuk, the President of Ukrainian Grain Association Mykola Gorbachov etc. A lawyer of Ilyashev & Partners Law Firm Leonid Gilevich gave a number of recommendations on drafting foreign economic agreements, drawing attention, in particular, to the introduction of the sanctions-related provisions into the agreements.
The conference was attended by more than 60 business executives, representatives of the public sector, industrial enterprises, and field associations.