October 13 Council of the European Union adopted a decision on the reduction or complete cancellation of customs duties on agri-food products from Ukraine, in particular dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and meat products. This step is part of the revision of the deep and comprehensive free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU.
“Both the EU and Ukraine will benefit from the abolition of customs duties, which will lead to sustainable economic stability, long-term trade relations and further integration of Ukraine into the Union”, said Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, which holds the EU presidency in the second half of 2025.
The access of Ukrainian goods to the EU market will depend on the gradual approximation of national norms to European standards in the field of animal welfare, the use of pesticides and veterinary drugs. A protection mechanism in case of market imbalance is also foreseen.
Full liberalization will only apply to certain non-sensitive goods such as dairy products. For the most sensitive categories – sugar, poultry, eggs, wheat, corn and honey – access to the EU market will remain limited.
We remind you that the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU was signed in 2014, and it entered into force on September 1, 2017. A deep and comprehensive free trade zone is an economic component of this agreement and serves as a basis for the modernization of the Ukrainian economy and the development of trade relations. After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union temporarily completely abolished tariffs on Ukrainian goods, but this decision expired on June 6, 2025.
