The EU intends to impose higher tariffs on Ukrainian imports, – Financial Times

The European Union is preparing to introduce increased tariffs on certain Ukrainian agricultural products starting June 6.

This information reported according to The Financial Times, citing diplomatic sources.

“The EU is preparing to significantly raise tariffs on Ukrainian imports in the coming weeks. The current agreement allowing duty-free trade with Kyiv expires on June 6, and the EU plans to replace it with ‘transitional measures’ while both sides work on updating the trade deal,” the article states.

According to diplomats, the European Commission plans to divide Ukraine’s annual duty-free quota into 12 monthly quotas, effectively reducing the volume of Ukrainian goods entering the EU while negotiations continue. This would sharply limit duty-free access for agricultural goods — a critical revenue source for Ukraine’s state budget.

Sources said the decision to revoke the preferential trade terms was largely driven by pressure from Poland, amid ongoing protests from European farmers.

“Just ahead of Sunday’s presidential election, Warsaw asked the Commission to postpone the highly unpopular trade talks with Kyiv to reduce the chances of opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki,” the article says, citing diplomats.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill recently confirmed at a Brussels rally that the EU will not extend duty-free imports from Ukraine beyond June 5, though he noted Brussels is exploring other ways to support Kyiv.

The EU had introduced duty-free access for Ukrainian goods in 2022. However, due to the unregulated influx of Ukrainian agricultural products and the resulting market disruptions — especially in bordering EU countries — the Commission imposed import caps on seven “sensitive” items: eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, corn, cereals, and honey.