Shmyhal Calls to Preserve Duty-Free Trade with the EU to Support the Economy

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, during a business forum in Brussels, called for the preservation of trade liberalization with the European Union. This position was voiced on April 10. According to him, trade liberalization is already bringing benefits to both sides. In 2022, the trade volume between Ukraine and the EU exceeded 60 billion dollars, of which Ukraine imported goods worth over 35 billion.

This is reported by AgroReview

Shmyhal emphasized that this is evidence of Ukraine’s reliability as a partner and the presence of a large growing market, which strengthens the position of the European Union. He also noted that such deep economic integration should be enshrined in a new agreement, particularly through the signing of the Agreement on Conformity Assessment of Industrial Products (ACAA) and deepening the strategic dialogue on sustainable development.

At a press conference following the meeting of the Ukraine-EU Association Council, which took place the day before, Shmyhal reported on Ukraine’s appeal to the EU to maintain the trade preferences granted in connection with the full-scale invasion of Russia, at least until the end of this year. The current preferences are set to expire in early June, and Ukraine aims to secure them within the framework of the Association Agreement with the EU.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi noted that this issue will continue to be discussed, and that by June 5, the European Commission will present a proposal regarding preferences for Ukraine. Previously, Western media reported that the European Commission is developing a proposal for permanent trade liberalization with Ukraine, under which agricultural imports will be classified into three categories depending on their sensitivity to the EU market.

Among the sensitive goods are likely to be eggs, poultry, sugar, and honey, the import of which is currently limited by quotas. In May 2022, the EU Council decided to abolish all tariffs and quotas on exports from Ukraine for a year to support the Ukrainian economy during the war. However, several EU countries, such as Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, temporarily banned the import of Ukrainian grain in April 2023, responding to pressure to protect local farmers.