Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov reported to Interfax that an agreement stimulating Russian coal export will be signed within next few days or even hours. Due to this agreement, coal companies will also be granted the right to export coal without paying penalty fees if the price is lower than the prime cost. This way the agreement is all about open dumping in coal trading with other countries.
This is usually punished in the world. In particular Poland has already cut access to its domestic market for Russian coal. However, it seems that Ukraine is currently is the main object of Russian coal expansion. The Russian Deputy Prime Minister connected dumping with almost catastrophic state of the Russian coal industry and huge wage arrears. Considering that Ukrainian miners are living through a much harder situation than their Russian colleagues, this measure may be considered an attempt to solve Russia’s problems at Ukrainian expense. However, executives of the Coal Ministry of Ukraine, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The Day that the Ukrainian response will be immediate and strict. Is a new trade war coming?






