Spanish Farmers Demand Action from the EU Over Ukrainian Sunflower Seed Tariff

Trade tensions between Ukraine and European Union countries are rising due to the export tariff that Ukraine has imposed on sunflower, rapeseed, and soybean seeds. The Spanish Association of Young Farmers (ASAJA), in collaboration with Copa-Cogeca, has officially appealed to the European Commission regarding the 10% tariff, which they believe affects the balance of the vegetable oil market in the EU.

This is reported by AgroReview

Increase in Ukrainian Oil Imports and Farmers’ Reactions

ASAJA cites data showing that imports of Ukrainian oil to the European Union have increased from 2 to over 3 million tons in recent years, now accounting for about 41% of all oil supplies to the European market. This figure has become a key argument for European farmers, who assert that the Ukrainian product has significantly shifted the market balance, both theoretically and practically.

For Spain, this situation is particularly acute: the country is one of the leading producers and processors of sunflower, so cheaper imported oil negatively impacts domestic prices and the competitiveness of local plants, which are forced to operate with more expensive raw materials.

Tariff Dispute: Market and Legal Aspects

European farmers emphasize that Ukraine’s export tariff is an instrument of industrial policy that effectively allows Ukrainian processors to purchase raw materials at lower prices and then sell finished products on the European market at prices that local producers can no longer compete with. ASAJA also highlights that this practice contradicts the updated Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, which, according to industry experts, came into effect in October 2025.

The position of agricultural associations is firm and quite pragmatic: ✔️ to demand the immediate cancellation of the 10% tariff on the export of oilseed seeds from Ukraine; ✔️ if this does not happen, to consider the introduction of tariffs on imports of Ukrainian oil to the EU as a compensatory measure.

Thus, European farmers demand that the European Commission not only pay attention to the situation but also intervene and take measures to protect the internal market.

For Ukraine, this issue is not just about potential trade pressure but also about the future of its own industrial strategy. Any attempt to stimulate processing within the country through regulatory mechanisms faces resistance in the EU if it leads to an increase in the export of value-added products.

The key question now is whether the European Commission will transform the discontent of Spanish farmers into official trade pressure on Ukraine. If a positive decision is made, the dispute over the 10% tariff could become a new test for economic relations between Ukraine and the European Union — not at the level of political statements, but at the level of real market protection.

This situation goes far beyond the discussion of the tariff on sunflower seeds: it concerns the distribution of added value, control over the rules of the game in the European agricultural market, and Ukraine’s opportunities to develop its own industrial policy in relations with the EU.