The European Commission (EC) has proposed to suspend for one year the collection of import duties on all Ukrainian exports to the European Union, the EC communiqué said on Wednesday.
“I discussed with President Zelensky ways to support the economy, in addition to the macro-financial assistance and grants that we provide. We both agree on the critical importance of a quick and wide suspension of import duties to boost the economy of Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was quoted in the message.
According to her, the suspension of duties “will greatly facilitate the export of Ukrainian industrial and agricultural goods to the EU.” She promised continued economic assistance to Kyiv.
The EC proposal also provides for the suspension for one year of all EU anti-dumping and safeguard measures in force against Ukrainian steel exports. This move, explained in Brussels, is designed to help increase Ukraine’s exports to the EU, which will alleviate the plight of Ukrainian producers and exporters in the current situation in the country.
“The EU has never before taken such trade liberalization measures, which are unprecedented in their scope: giving Ukraine access to the EU market with zero tariffs, zero quotas,” said Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission.
The European Commission points out that in the difficult conditions of the situation in Ukraine, the European Union wants to do everything possible to help the country “maintain its trade positions with the rest of the world and further deepen its trade relations with the EU.”
Brussels also reports that the EU is taking measures to facilitate land transport of goods to help export Ukrainian products outside the country. Thus, the European Commission has already begun liberalizing the conditions for Ukrainian truck drivers transporting goods between Ukraine and the EU, as well as actions to facilitate transit and use the EU infrastructure to direct Ukrainian exports to third countries.
