The Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting - Kyiv

More than five years after its adoption, Ukraine\'s wood export moratorium was found incompatible with the Association Agreement (AA) and not justified under the GATT 1994. Ukraine\'s arguments were weak to prove that conservation of forests was the moratorium\'s primary goal.

Ukrainian exporting and importing businesses have recently got the much-awaited opportunity to register as Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs). This status will make them trusted companies in the country\'s Customs Office\'s eyes and considerably facilitate their cross-border trade.

The fifth annual survey of Ukrainian exporters and importers1 marks growing optimism among companies regarding the already achieved AA impact, while their future assessments are marred by uncertainty.

The local elections in Ukraine that started on October 25, 2020, are not officially over yet. While the majority of mayors and local councils were sworn in, the Central Election Commission is still finalizing the results in some districts.

The E40 waterway project is a great idea from the geopolitical point of view. It connects three countries situated between Central Europe and Russia, and creates grounds for deeper regional cooperation. However, the economic and environmental sides of the project are not that great.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already inflicted severe damage on the Ukrainian economy despite relatively mild public health implications so far. The number of new COVID-19 cases seems to have stabilized over the last few weeks.

According to new Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2019 published by Transparency International, Ukraine scored 30 points out of 100. This means that Ukraine has gone back to the level from 2017 and now ranks 126th out of 180 countries, alongside Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Djibouti.

The now famous phone call between President Trump and President Zelensky released to the public in September attracted most attention around the Biden affair and possible links to US military assistance. Less noticed were Trump’s remarks that Europe did nothing for Ukraine.

Over the last years, Ukraine has intensified its trade links with the European Union driven by both the positive stimulus provided by the Association Agreement and a negative stimulus, namely the need to replace lost trade links with Russia.

Ukrainian government needs to take steps to reduce the possibility of hostile takeovers of property and should ensure transparent and lawful conduct of the judicial system and law enforcement agencies. It should also engage Ukrainian business associations in policy making.