Middle Eastern States Check Radioactivity of Ukrainian Steel.

The Industry Ministry reported that Kuwait and Jordan had implemented mandatory radiation-safety certification of Ukrainian steel imports. Syria and the Emirates are reportedly considering similar policies. According to one news report, Ukrainian steel makers estimate their potential losses from the certification requirement at $12-14m. Andriy Gostik: These moves follow recent allegations by Russian officials that radiation had been detected in Russia’s Ukrainian steel imports (which in our view are completely groundless). We doubt the Middle Eastern states’ certification requirements will be more than a minor nuisance to the Ukrainian steel industry. It’s possible that Russia could ban Ukrainian steel imports for political reasons, but Russia is not a big market for Ukrainian steel and Russian authorities would be discouraged by possible retaliatory measures