2020年8月15日

乌克兰的美国商会（ACC）对于在涉及烟草公司的纠纷中对外国投资者在乌克兰的待遇表示关注。

最近，乌克兰反垄断委员会（AMCU）因涉嫌反竞争行为，对英美烟草乌克兰分部、日本烟草乌克兰分部、帝国烟草乌克兰分部、菲利普莫里斯乌克兰分部及其分销商处以罚款。

烟草公司目前正在法庭上对该决定提起上诉，但他们对该审判表示担忧，因为他们没有充分获得AMCU指控依据的证据。

两家国际烟草公司已经向乌克兰提交了通知，以捍卫其作为外国投资者在仲裁中的权利。另外两家公司正在考虑尽快提交此类通知。

美商协会称，如果无法通过与乌克兰国家当局的谈判迅速解决此问题，国际机构将考虑解决这些争端，以解决投资争端，争端方将不再是乌克兰反垄断委员会，而是乌克兰政府。

协会警告说，此类争端通常会引起国际关注，并可能对乌克兰在外国投资者中的形象产生负面影响。

“乌克兰美国商会敦促乌克兰政府对来自美国、英国、瑞士和荷兰的国际投资者就反垄断委员会决定与乌克兰提出的投资争端通知作出适当回应，并公正考虑符合乌克兰法律和国际协议的问题。”协会在一份声明中写道。

“迅速、透明、公正地解决局势将有助于维持战略投资者与国家之间的业务关系，不会损害乌克兰的形象和投资环境，避免国家预算蒙受损失。”

US Speaks up for Tobacco Investors in Ukraine

August 15, 2020

The American Chamber of Commerce (ACC) in Ukraine is concerned about the treatment of foreign investors in Ukraine in a dispute involving tobacco companies.

Recently, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) fined British American Tobacco Ukraine, JTI Ukraine, Imperial Tobacco Ukraine, Philip Morris Ukraine and their distributors for alleged anticompetitive behavior.

The tobacco firms are currently appealing the decision in court but have expressed concern about the trial because they did not have full access to the evidence on which the AMCU based its allegations.

Two international tobacco companies have already submitted notifications to Ukraine to defend their rights as foreign investors in arbitration. Another two companies are considering submitting such notifications soon.

In the absence of a prompt solution to this issue through negotiations with Ukraine’s state authorities, these disputes will be considered by international bodies for resolving investment disputes, and the party to the dispute will no longer be the AMCU, but Ukraine, according to the ACC.

The ACC has cautioned that such disputes usually gain international publicity and can have a negative impact on Ukraine’s image among foreign investors.

“The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine urges Ukraine’s government to respond appropriately to the notice of the investment dispute with the state of Ukraine initiated by international investors from the USA, Great Britain, Switzerland and the Netherlands regarding the AMCU decision and to impartially consider the issue in compliance with Ukrainian legislation and international agreements,” the ACC wrote in a statement.

“A quick, transparent, and fair resolution of the situation will help to maintain business relations between strategic investors and the state, not to damage Ukraine’s image and investment climate, and avoid losses to the state budget.”