Russia plans to ban the import from Ukraine of a wide range of products for the railway industry. In particular, we are talking about solid-rolled railway wheels, wheelsets, billets, axles and large car casting – side frames and bolsters, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Wednesday, December 23.
In turn, the Union of Railway Transport Operators (SOZHT) sent a letter to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Andrey Belousov, in which it expressed concern about a possible ban on the import of the listed items from Ukraine.
“Despite the fact that the share of products of Ukrainian enterprises is significantly lower than that of Russian manufacturers (no more than 10-15% of individual market segments), such products (pulp and paper mill, side frames of bogies, axles of wheelsets, other similar products) are still demanded by consumers, ”says a letter from Coolant.
A similar letter was received from the Altayvagon company, but it focuses only on the ban on the import of wheels. Entrepreneurs support the import of cast parts of Ukrainian production and explain their position by the low quality of the product.
At the same time, it is noted that Ukraine is the main supplier of railway wheels in the Eurasian Economic Union. The volume of imports in 2019 amounted to $ 270 million, in January-October 2020 – $ 150 million.
At the same time, at the moment, neither Kiev nor the Russian government has reacted to reports of a possible ban on the import of certain railway products from Ukraine.
Last week, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at a meeting extended until the end of 2021 the effect of duties on Russian coal, diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas.
On December 11, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree expanding the sanctions list against Ukraine.