The EU would extend the suspension of import duties on Ukrainian exports

By: STA Date: 2024. 01. 31. 11:00

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The European Commission has proposed to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the European Union for another year, and has proposed to extend by one year the suspension of all remaining duties on imports from Moldova in force since July 2022.

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Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU commissioner responsible for trade policy, announced at a press conference in Brussels that the autonomous trade preferences have been applied by the EU since June 2022 in the case of Ukraine, and are part of the EU support provided to the country and its economy. The discounts will contribute to easing the difficult situation of Ukrainian manufacturers and exporters as a result of the war, he said. Although the main purpose of the discounts is to support Ukraine, the measures also take into account sensitive issues for EU agricultural producers and other interested parties, he pointed out. According to him, for this purpose, as well as taking into account the significant increase in the import of certain agricultural products from Ukraine to the EU in 2022 and 2023, the renewed autonomous trade preferences contain a strengthened safeguard mechanism. This ensures that rapid corrective measures can be taken in the event of significant disturbances affecting the EU market or the markets of one or more member states, he informed.

In a statement, the EU commission detailed: in the case of the most sensitive products, including poultry, eggs and sugar, an emergency brake mechanism was foreseen, which would stabilize imports on average of the quantities imported in 2022 and 2023. This means that if imports of these products were to exceed the mentioned quantities, duties would be reimposed to ensure that import volumes do not significantly exceed those of previous years. Total EU imports from Ukraine in the 12 months to October 2023 amounted to EUR 24.3 billion, a level that reached EUR 24 billion in the pre-war year 2021, according to the Brussels statement.

The European Commission has also proposed to extend by one year the suspension of all remaining duties on imports from Moldova, in force since July 2022. In the case of Moldova, autonomous trade preferences are helping the country’s efforts to redirect exports to EU routes. Exports from Moldova to the EU increased from a total of 1.8 billion euros to 2.6 billion euros between 2021 and 2022. The proposals will be examined by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

MTI