Ukraine, EU agree to raise duty-free quotas for key agricultural products

On Wednesday, October 15, Ukraine and the European Union reached a final agreement to update the trade section of the Association Agreement. The deal significantly increases duty-free quotas for key agricultural products, reported the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club.

Agricultural goods account for roughly 60% of Ukraine’s total exports, with the EU purchasing about 60% of these products, worth nearly $15 billion.

Growth of duty-free export quotas to the EU (compared to 2021)

Quotas for processed products also rose. The quota for bran and its residues increased by 405% (from 21,000 to 85,000 tons), and for barley groats and meal by 423% (from 7,800 to 33,200 tons).

The agreement fully liberalizes trade for less sensitive products, such as mushrooms, fermented milk, processed milk and cream, and food preparations, removing all tariff quotas.

Separate quotas were also introduced for processed products. For example, wheat, barley, and corn flour, previously included in general grain quotas, were separated. This allows Ukraine to export an additional 30,000 tons of flour on top of 1.3 million tons of wheat.

The deal also increases quotas for European goods, including pork (from 20,000 to 45,000 tons), poultry (from 20,000 to 120,000 tons), and sugar (from 40,000 to 100,000 tons).

The next quota review is scheduled for 2028.

• The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was signed in 2014 and entered into force on September 1, 2017. Its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area provides a framework for the modernization of Ukraine’s economy and trade relations.
• After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU fully eliminated duties on Ukrainian goods. The exemption term expired on June 6, 2025, after which quotas equal to 7/12 of the pre-war annual volumes were applied.