EU-Ukraine trade: elimination of customs duties for various agri-food products

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU granted Ukraine exceptional trade facilities and instruments that offer a high level of unilateral liberalization in the form of autonomous trade measures. These were renewed in 2023 and 2024 and expired on June 6, 2025. On October 13, 2025, the Council adopted a decision on the position the EU will take in the EU-Ukraine Association Committee (in its trade configuration) regarding the reduction or elimination of customs duties for a variety of agri-food products, such as dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, and meat preparations. This decision follows the preliminary agreement on the review of the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), reached by the European Commission and Ukraine on June 30, 2025, with the aim of establishing a reciprocal, predictable, and long-term trade framework in the broader context of Ukraine's accession process. The position agreed by the EU will strengthen trade flows ...