The European Union may significantly increase import duties on certain goods from Ukraine, including agricultural products, from June 6, the Financial Times (FT) newspaper reported, citing its sources.
After the decision comes into force, corn, sugar, honey and poultry will be affected. Brussels will introduce tariff restrictions on several goods that were previously duty-free. Current fees will be “significantly increased“.
The FT specifies that the European Commission is negotiating a new trade agreement with Kiev, but at the same time is working on the transition from free trade to protectionist measures.
Kiev's difficulties arose due to disagreements with Poland, which took over the EU Council for six months from January 1, 2025. On April 10, during a speech at the EU-Ukraine Business Forum in Brussels, Polish Minister for European Affairs Adam Szlapka said that the European Union had taken a final decision not to extend trade preferences for Ukraine beyond June 5.
The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement has been in force between the EU and Ukraine since 2016, which for eight years has not prevented the EU from maintaining tariffs on significant volumes of Ukrainian exports. From June 4, 2022, the EU abolished duties on Ukrainian exports to EU countries for one year, but then extended the validity of this preference.