Klimkin: Ukraine needs a free trade zone with the US

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has announced that his country will seek introduction of a free trade zone with the United States, UNIAN reports.

At a joint press conference with Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini, Klimkin was asked whether Ukraine was considering the possibility of taking tit-for-tat measures, given the statement by US President Donald Trump about imposing the import tax for aluminum and steel shipped into the US. The Ukrainian foreign minister noted that such intention of the United States is being actively discussed in the world.

"This is not a surprise for us, because we understand that the United States administration has been studying this issue for quite some time. We are committed to the most constructive dialogue with the administration and conduct it in the context of Ukrainian exports," Klimkin said.

"We are confident of the extraordinary potential for the development of our trade and economic cooperation, and one of the proposals that sounds in this regard is the establishment of a free trade zone with the United States, as we now have it with Canada. A logical question arises: why not to have one with the United States? … And this is one of the issues that we will try to discuss in great detail within our strategic partnership commission, both at the subgroup level and at the political level, "said the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

"The future FTZ is for me a real way forward," the minister concluded.

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that Kiev was negotiating with Washington the duties on steel, which were imposed last week by US President Donald Trump. The fees, he said, will be applied for a long period of time.