- within Compliance topic(s)
On 14 October 2025, the Trade Component Association Committee (TCAC) endorsed a decision to diminish and abolish import duties pursuant to the Article 29 (4) of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. This decision will enter into force on 29 October 2025. The decision is bilateral and valid indefinitely.
Meaning of the Decision
- the first joint step after several years of unilateral EU preferences (2022–2025), which transfers trade interaction to a stable contractual format;
- Ukrainian exporters will be able to take advantage of the new trade regime later this year;
- it reduces import duties and increases quotas for Ukrainian goods, defined and set out in a new Annex I-E, which will be included in the Agreement and form an integral part thereof;
- it sets the volume of tariff quotas until the end of 2025 at 7/12 of the updated annual quotas, excluding the volume that was exported from 6 June 2025 until the updated trade regime came into force;
- the new quotas, covering 21 of the 34 existing categories, will surpass Ukraine's maximum export limits under autonomous trade preferences;
- provides for a reassessment in 2028 to analyse the extent to which the level of liberalisation corresponds to the development of trade relations and the progress of implementing EU agricultural standards into Ukrainian legislation;
- the decision may pave the way for even greater removal of trade barriers in the future.
Looking ahead, the scheduled review in 2028 will be crucial in assessing how effectively Ukraine aligns its agricultural standards with EU legislation and whether further liberalisation can be achieved. This development represents not only an economic milestone but also an important step toward Ukraine's gradual integration into the EU's internal market framework.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
