DEADLINES FOR SETTLEMENTS ON COMMODITY EXPORT AND IMPORT OPERATIONS: APPLICATION HISTORY – UKRAINE’S CASE STUDY

Abstract

Abstract. The article covers the development of settlement deadlines for commodity export and import operations introduced by Ukraine as a sovereign state within the framework of foreign economic policy (in particular, its currency component), and the current state of the regulatory framework and some special aspects of practical regulation of deadlines of currency receipts being credited for export operations and/or goods delivery for import operations and some operational peculiarities in this area. The matter of commitment implementation deadlines on export-import operations has two components: economic and legal. From an economic point of view, foreign currency being credited as a settlement on foreign economic contracts affects tax revenues to the state budget, influences the exchange rate of the national currency, the state of the balance of payments of Ukraine, etc. The legal component of this research aims at identifying the conditions and subjects of international settlements (in general) and, in particular, settlements on export-import contracts (contracts), and, in its turn, includes «vertical» and «horizontal» relations and responsibilities. First of all, we are talking about «vertical» relations. They imply that it is deadlines for foreign economic operations (payment, delivery of goods, service provision etc.) and conditions for monitoring (supervising) their observance are set out by the state to achieve a certain social and economic goal. If the deadlines and conditions are violated, prosecution is normatively stipulated. On the other hand, taking into account national regulatory and legal requirements, in particular in the field of currency legislation, subjects of foreign economic activity, on the basis of the principle of foreign economic entrepreneurship freedom [67, Article 2] and the autonomy of will (lex voluntatis) [68, Article 5] in foreign economic contracts, may provide for any conditions, including payments, goods delivery and responsibility for their non-fulfillment or poor performance, that is, they create «horizontal» relationship. The article presents in descriptive and tabular form by what normative legal acts, for what terms, etc., within the period between the 90s of the twentieth century and 24.02.2022 Ukraine introduced and changed the deadlines (from 30 to 365 calendar days) for foreign currency earnings on export operations being credited (i.e., mainly settlements) and/or the delivery of goods on import operations, as another integral part of this process. Besides, the article focuses on normatively defined possibilities of specified deadlines being extended, the conditions for their calculation being suspended (force majeure, appeal to the judicial authorities), as well as consequences of their violation (for example, accrual of penalties in the amount of 1% to 0.3%). Legal precedents on the subject of the research and its individual aspects are widely presented. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the presentation of the material on the deadlines for the delivery of goods for import operations and/or foreign exchange earnings receipt for export operations in Ukraine is divided into two parts according to the time factor: – from the 90s. XX century to 23.02.2022; – from 24.02.2022 – until now (during the martial law). This article refers to the pre-war period, namely between the 90s of the XXth century and 23.02.2022.