The European Commission has adopted a package of transitional measures regarding trade with Ukraine, which will come into effect after June 5, 2025. This is when the autonomous trade preferences for Ukraine, which allowed duty-free exports to the European Union, will end.
This is reported by Business • Media
New Export Conditions and Quotas for Agricultural Products
As noted by European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari, the introduced restrictions are temporary and will provide a transitional period for updating and improving the provisions of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) that has been in place between Ukraine and the EU since 2016. The spokesperson emphasized that previously, autonomous trade preferences had to be extended annually, but now long-term cooperation mechanisms are being considered.
“Instead, we are looking for more long-term solutions. So we will focus on the DCFTA. Negotiations are ongoing on how to revise and modernize this agreement to make it more contemporary,” he added.
From June 2025, the European Union will reinstate quotas on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine. It is worth noting that these quotas were lifted after the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 to support Ukrainian farmers. The volumes of quotas available until the end of 2025 will amount to 7/12 of the standard annual limits.
Negotiations on the Future of Trade Relations
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine has noted that both Kyiv and Brussels have the political will to reach a compromise on balanced cooperation conditions between the parties by the end of July 2025. This provides Ukrainian exports with a chance for further stable integration into the EU market and the development of trade on new terms.