In 2024, Ukraine became one of the three largest exporters of agricultural products to the European Union, according to Eurostat.
According to the published information, the largest share of imports to the EU came from Brazil (8.8%, EUR 17.1 billion), the United Kingdom (8.5%, EUR 16.6 billion), Ukraine (6.7%, EUR 13.1 billion), and the United States (6.1%, EUR 12.0 billion). China (5.1%), Norway (4.7%), and Turkey (4%) were also among the main suppliers of agricultural products to the EU.
The EU’s main partner for agricultural exports in 2024 was the United Kingdom with a share of 23.0% (EUR 54.0 billion), followed by the United States (12.8%; EUR 30.1 billion), Switzerland (5.4%; EUR 12.6 billion) and China (5.3%; EUR 12.3 billion).
Eurostat also noted that in 2024, the EU exported agricultural products worth EUR 234.1 billion and imported EUR 194.9 billion, resulting in a surplus of EUR 39.2 billion. Compared to 2023, both exports and imports increased by 2.8% and 6.7%, respectively.
The volume of trade in agricultural products in the EU between 2014 and 2024 increased by 59%, with exports growing by 58% and imports by 60.2%, equivalent to an average annual growth of 4.7% for exports and 4.8% for imports.
As reported, in 2022, the EU lifted restrictions on Ukrainian imports and introduced a so-called customs visa-free regime. According to European media reports, new rules will come into force on June 6, 2025, with duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports being reinstated. The EU is currently preparing a transitional regime that will limit duty-free agricultural exports, including grain, honey, eggs, sugar, and other products.
The initiator of the changes was Poland, which stated the need to protect European farmers. A number of EU countries supported the tightening of trade conditions with Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian government’s estimates, the abandonment of the current rules will result in the country losing around EUR 3.5 billion per year.
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