Honey, eggs and butter: what products from Ukraine will the EU buy more of now
5 July 07:20
Ukraine and the European Union have reached new agreements on trade terms after the expiration of autonomous trade preferences. According to the updated rules, export quotas for a number of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU will be significantly increased – for some items, the growth will reach 500-600% compared to the level of 2021. This was announced by Ukraine’s trade representative Taras Kachka, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The negotiations lasted more than a month and included intensive personal consultations. According to Kachka, the Ukrainian side traveled more than 6,000 kilometers of European routes to reach a compromise.
“We discussed in detail the terms of trade for all agricultural goods and got a good result,” Kachka wrote.
What was agreed upon
Out of 40 trade quotas:
- 5 were fully liberalized
- In 4 quotas, certain goods were liberalized
- 4 quotas were rearranged
Increase in quotas for agricultural products
The largest increase in quotas applies to the following products (compared to the level of 2021):
- Honey increased by 583.3%,
- Sugar – 500%,
- Processed starch – 500%,
- Barley bran and cereals; cereals otherwise processed – 435.8%,
- Bran, husk and residues – 386%,
- Milk powder – 308%,
- Eggs – 300%,
- Malt – 250%,
- Processed tomatoes – 250%,
- Processed sugar products – 250%,
- Starches – 244%,
- Butter – 233.3%,
- Oats – 192.5%,
- Corn – 153%,
- Milk, cream, condensed milk – 150%,
- Garlic – 150%,
- Other sugars – 150%,
- Apple juice – 150%,
- Processed butter products – 150%,
- Sugar corn – 150%,
- Mannitol-sorbitol – 150%,
- Processed cereal products – 150%,
- Sugar syrups – 135%,
- Poultry meat – 133.3%,
- Wheat – 130%,
- Ethanol – 125%,
- Barley – 122.2%.
In total, 21 out of 34 updated quotas exceed historical export peaks. In three more cases, the new volumes are higher than the 2024 exports. Only six items remained below the level of the previous year, but allow for stable supplies.
In three cases, the conditions became less favorable, but, as Kachka emphasized, the negative impact was minimized.
The next review is in 2028
It is expected that in 2028 the terms will be revised again. new ones, which traditionally make up a significant part of Ukrainian agricultural exports.
It should be added that the restoration of the pre-war trade regime with the EU, which provides for about 30 quotas, could lead to a net loss of about $800 million in Ukrainian exports in the period from June to December 2025. Grain exports will suffer the most due to new trade restrictions.
