- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Ukraine lacks new excise stamps, stops liquor supplies to Russia

Subscribe
KIEV, April 1 (RIA Novosti, Olga Bernatskaya) - Ukraine stopped supplying hard liquors to Russia due to the lack of new excise stamps Saturday.

Representatives of Ukrainian liquor companies said they had not received special excise stamps, which Russia introduced for foreign hard liquors from April 1, 2006.

They also said the stamps would not help solve the problem as Russia had no proper database on imported liquors.

The companies said they had made reserves of alcoholic products to ensure stable sales on the Russian market for a certain period.

"All will depend on how long the situation continues," a spokesman for a major Ukrainian distillery said. "If it lasts for three to four months and more no reserves will be sufficient."

According to the Ukrainian Union of Wholesalers and Alcohol and Tobacco Producers, in 2005 the country exported to Russia hard liquors worth $222 million. Russia accounted for 87.3% of Ukraine's alcohol exports last year.

Russia has banned imports of hard liquors with old excise stamps from April 1, 2006. Sales of such liquors will be banned from July 1.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала