The US extends the suspension of tariffs on steel imports from Ukraine for another year

Blinken conveys to Kuleba the American commitment to the sovereignty, independence and recovery of Ukraine

June 1 () –

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, announced this Friday that he will extend for another year the temporary suspension of tariffs on Ukrainian steel, whose production continues to be affected by Russia’s invasion.

“The situation regarding the Ukrainian steel industry has not changed” since 2022. “The Ukrainian steel industry continues to be significantly disrupted by the unjustified, unprovoked, inflexible and excessive war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine,” he denounced the White House in a statement, in which it lamented that “the significant interruption of Ukrainian steel production has decreased the total amount of steel produced by Ukraine.”

The US Executive has determined that “the current situation in Ukraine remains a special case”, which “justifies an extension of the suspension of tariffs” decreed after the Russian invasion in order to maintain the steel industry “as an economic lifeline while the country is recovering.”

“The United States and Ukraine continue to engage in extensive security discussions. The current disruption of Ukrainian steel production has been part of those discussions, and the ongoing discussion is expected to include alternative measures to prevent Ukraine’s steel imports. threaten the national security of the United States as Ukraine’s steel production recovers from the significant disruption caused by the war,” the note added.

SUPPORTING THE SOVEREIGNTY AND INTEGRITY OF UKRAINE

In parallel, the Secretary of the United States Department of State, Antony Blinken, held a telephone conversation this Friday with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dimitro Kuleba, during which he conveyed the American commitment to the defense of Ukraine.

Thus, the secretary has highlighted in a statement “the firm support of the United States for Ukraine, including its ability to defend itself from Russian military positions on the border within Russia, from where the Kremlin launches attacks” against its territories, and has reiterated its support for the summit on Ukraine to be held on June 15 and 16 in Switzerland.

Along the same lines, Blinken and Kuleba have addressed “the impact that the newly arrived US military assistance is having on the battlefield” and have agreed to “finalize bilateral talks on long-term security agreements in the coming weeks.”

“Secretary Blinken has highlighted the United States’ enduring support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine and our commitment to Ukraine’s recovery,” the State Department note concludes.