US hits Ukraine with trade sanctions over counterfeit goods
The US has imposed trade sanctions on Ukraine after it claimed the country failed to crack down on counterfeiters that were producing music CDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs. The sanctions are calculated to cost Ukraine up to $75 million and will affect exports of footwear, diamonds, metals and other goods with 100% duties being introduced.
The Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh said that the government could only take action once elections had taken place at the end of March, complaining that attempts to introduce legislation had foundered in the current fragmented parliament. He said that the sanctions would cause great damage to the country’s export-oriented economy, and also expressed concern that Washington appeared to be improving relations with Russia while Ukraine was in danger of being left out in the cold.
