EU renews Ukraine trade concessions till June 2024

(BRUSSELS) - The EU Council adopted Thursday a Regulation which renews the suspension of all customs duties, quotas and trade defence measures on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year, until June 2024.

With renewal of the measures the EU continues to demonstrate its unwavering political and economic support for Ukraine, which is still facing Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression.

"Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the country's economy," said Swedish trade minister Johan Forssell, for the EU presidency: "The renewed Autonomous Trade Measures will unequivocally support Ukraine and at the same time they provide the EU with a way of protecting if necessary the internal market from significant increase in imports of some agricultural products."

The measures will also help Ukraine maintain stable trade relations with the EU and keep its economy going under very challenging circumstances.

The regulation adopted will apply for a period of one year and concerns the following:

• all outstanding customs duties under Title IV of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine establishing a deep and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA). This concerns two categories of products: fruits and vegetables subject to the entry-price system, and agricultural products and processed agricultural products subject to tariff-rate quotas
• the collection of anti-dumping duties on imports originating in Ukraine as of the date of entry into force of this Regulation
• the application of the common rules for imports (safeguards) with respect of imports originating in Ukraine

The EU stresses that the trade-liberalising measures are taken in observance of the commitment in Article 2 of the Association Agreement (DCFTA), which enshrines as an essential element of the Agreement the promotion of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and independence.

Ukraine Association Agreement: regulation on temporary trade liberalisation

EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, European Commission