EU shows continued support for Ukraine extending tariff-free trade for another year

The Council of the EU extends the suspension of all customs duties, quotas, and trade protection measures on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year until June next year.

The European Pravda reports, citing the Council of the EU, these measures will help Ukraine maintain the stability of trade relations with the EU and support the economy in harsh conditions.

"By renewing these measures, the EU is continuing to demonstrate its unwavering political and economic support for Ukraine, which is still facing Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression," the statement reads.

Combined with extensive military, financial and humanitarian support, this is critical to helping Ukraine in its long-term recovery, the Council of the EU said. 

"Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the country's economy. The renewed Autonomous Trade Measures will unequivocally support Ukraine, and at the same time, they provide the EU with a way of protecting, if necessary, the internal market from significant increase in imports of some agricultural products," said Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Sweden, which presides over the Council of the EU.

The suspension of tariffs applies to fruits and vegetables subject to the system of input prices, and agricultural unprocessed and processed products subject to tariff quota restrictions. Tariffs for industrial goods ceased to operate as early as January 1, 2023, under the terms of the Association Agreement.

Now that the regulation has been adopted, it will be signed by representatives of the Council and the European Parliament and published in the Official Gazette, after which it will enter into force on June 6.

On May 9, the European Parliament voted to extend duty-free trade with Ukraine for another year to support the Ukrainian economy during the war.

On May 2, the European Commission adopted exceptional and temporary preventive measures on importing certain agricultural products from Ukraine after pressure from five member states of the European Union, which blamed Ukrainian imports for the collapse of local prices.

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