The EU wants to reintroduce tariffs on large quantities of certain agricultural products from Ukraine to support European farmers. Because of the Russian attack, the EU suspended tariffs on Ukrainian imports in 2022.
The EU wants to reintroduce tariffs on large quantities of certain agricultural products from Ukraine to support European farmers. Negotiators from the EU states and the European Parliament agreed on this that night in Brussels.
Specifically, according to Parliament, this concerns eggs, poultry and sugar as well as corn, oats, groats and honey. In the future, there will be a certain quota for these goods that can be sold duty-free into the EU. When this amount is reached, tariffs will be due again.
No tariffs will initially apply to the import of wheat, although measures can be taken under certain conditions. According to the preliminary agreement, these rules should apply until June 2025.
EU approaches farmers
After Russia’s attack on its neighboring country, the EU suspended tariffs in order to strengthen the Ukrainian economy. The agreement that has now been reached still needs to be formally approved by Parliament and the EU states.
With the planned reintroduction of trade restrictions for certain agricultural goods from Ukraine above a certain quantity, the EU is once again reaching out to farmers. After violent protests by farmers, the EU Commission had already temporarily made less stringent environmental regulations possible.
Particularly sharp criticism of trade policy came from Poland
In the course of the ongoing farmers’ protests in the EU, farmers from Poland in particular had called for changes to Ukrainian-European trade policy. Polish farmers have been criticizing the import of cheaper agricultural products from Ukraine for months. For example, they want to prevent cheaper Ukrainian grain from reaching the domestic market.
After the Russian attack on Ukraine two years ago, Brussels suspended all import tariffs and quotas on agricultural products from Ukraine in order to help the country economically. There was already a trade agreement with Ukraine before, but the additional relief went well beyond that.