EU to allow wider measures to control Ukraine grain imports

The European Commission is looking into ways of allowing eastern EU member states to restrict farm imports from Ukraine as it extends trade liberalisation with Kyiv for a further year to June 2025, reported Reuters. The EU has suspended import duties, quotas and trade defence measures for imports from Ukraine since June 2022 to support its economy after Russia's invasion. However, cheap Ukrainian grain exports have sparked protests by governments, farmers and truckers in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Hungary. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the Commission was about to present a proposal for the new period to June 2025, taking into account the sensitivities of agricultural sectors in eastern member states of the bloc. The existing arrangement does include safeguards but these only apply if the whole EU market is affected. "We're looking at the best ways to do it, including the possibility of having the safeguards not only in the case of disturbances to the ...