EU supports Ukraine economy with temporary trade liberalisation

(BRUSSELS) - EU ministers gave the green light to significant support to Ukraine's economy Tuesday with a one-year suspension of import duties on all Ukrainian exports to the European Union and other trade concessions.

Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the country's production capacity, transport infrastructure and access to the Black sea, as well as its wider ability to trade with the rest of the world. The consequences cannot be underestimated both internally, and internationally, in terms of impact on food security.

The EU decision will apply for a period of one year, and will suspend in particular:

• all those tariffs under Title IV of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine establishing a deep and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA) that had not yet been liberalised. The suspension covers notably: industrial products subject to duty phase out by the end of 2022, 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, and
• the application of the common rules for imports with respect of imports originating in Ukraine.

The decision is conditional upon respect for principles set out in Article 2 of the EU's provisional trade agreement with Ukraine (DCFTA), which reduces tariffs that European firms face when exporting to Ukraine.

Following adoption of the regulation by both the European Parliament and the EU Council, it will be signed and published in the Official Journal, before entering into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

EU response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine (background information)

EU relations with Ukraine (background information)

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