EU moves to suspend import duties for Ukraine exports
Trade - Photo By kees torn
(BRUSSELS) - The EU Commission proposed Wednesday a one-year suspension of import duties on all Ukrainian exports to the EU, as well as all EU anti-dumping and safeguard measures in place on Ukrainian steel exports.
The proposal - an unprecedented gesture of support for a country at war - is designed to help boost Ukraine's exports to the EU. It will help alleviate the difficult situation of Ukrainian producers and exporters in the face of Russia's military invasion.
"The EU has never before delivered such trade liberalisation measures, which are unprecedented in their scale: granting Ukraine zero tariff, zero quota access to the EU market," said Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis: "Since the start of Russia's aggression, the EU has prioritised the importance of keeping Ukraine's economy going – which is crucial both to help it win this war and to get back on its feet post-war. These measures will directly help Ukrainian producers and exporters."
As well as leading to tragic loss of life and mass displacement of innocent civilians of Ukraine, the Russian military aggression is having a devastating impact on Ukraine's economy and its ability to trade with the rest of the world due to the severe impact on its production capacity and vital export routes. In this difficult context, the EU says it wants to do as much as possible to help Ukraine to maintain its trade position with the rest of the world and further deepen its trade relations with the EU.
The EU is also already taking measures on the ground to facilitate overland goods transport to help to get Ukrainian products out into the world. For example, the Commission has already started liberalising the conditions for Ukrainian truck drivers transporting goods between Ukraine and the EU, as well as facilitating transit and the use of EU infrastructure to channel Ukrainian exports towards third countries. These measures will add much-needed flexibility and certainty for Ukrainian producers.
The proposal still needs to be considered and agreed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.