Kyiv wants to renegotiate the maximum quantities of agricultural products it can export to the EU tariff-free during negotiations starting next month, the country’s agriculture minister, Taras Vysotsky, said during a meeting with industry representatives on Wednesday.
“From September we plan to resume consultations with the European Commission on updating and increasing quotas for sensitive items,” he said, calling on the sector to provide clear and reasoned data to form a “strong negotiating position.”
The EU and Ukraine agreed last year on revised volumes of agricultural products that can be sold duty-free to the bloc, with caps for those considered ‘sensitive’ by Brussels. That category includes eggs, poultry, sugar, honey, wheat and maize, among others.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Ukrainian business representatives pushed for a review of quotas for exports of sugar, starch, molasses, alcohol and bioethanol.
The demands come as repeated attacks on Black Sea ports disrupt Ukraine’s maritime exports, increasing pressure on Kyiv to secure alternative routes and expand access to the EU market.
While most of these quotas were increased in 2025 – from 90,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes a year for poultry and from 20,070 to 100,000 tonnes for sugar – they remain below the levels exported under the full trade liberalisation introduced in the first years after Russia’s invasion.
A further review of the quotas was not planned until 2028, when the EU and Ukraine are due to assess Kyiv’s progress in aligning with EU standards, including on animal welfare and pesticides.
Ukrainian agricultural exports remain politically sensitive in several EU countries, particularly those bordering Ukraine.
Poland, Slovakia and Hungary have maintained unilateral import bans on some Ukrainian agricultural products, despite opposition from Brussels.
Polish agriculture minister Stefan Krajewski recently said he had no intention of lifting the ban on Ukrainian grain.
Ukrainian industry representatives also raised concerns during Wednesday’s meeting over the situation in the Black Sea and the development of the Danube region as an alternative export route – itself under pressure from record-low water levels caused by drought.
Vysotsky said the government’s goal is to use “all available opportunities” and maximise preferential trade terms with the EU and other global partners.
The Commission had not confirmed by the time of publication whether talks with Kyiv would begin in September.
See the original by Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro here.