We would like to remind you that last Thursday the Financial Times reported that from Friday, June 28, the EU will restore customs duties on eggs and sugar from Ukraine. Our government also announced the introduction of quotas when the limits are exceeded. At the same time, the Ukrainians informed that such a situation would not occur. On the morning of July 1, no confirmation of these actions could be found. Then, in the evening, an article from the Euractiv portal appeared, announcing the restoration of customs duties from July 2. This is what happened. We know the official statement of the European Commission on this matter.
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What about the introduction of tariffs on sugar and eggs? Ukraine denies
Tariffs on sugar and eggs are back
– From July 2, 2024, tariff quotas from the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) are reintroduced for the import of eggs and sugar from Ukraine to the EU. The revised autonomous trade measures (ATM), in force from June 6, 2024, include an emergency brake on seven agricultural products, which is activated automatically if import volumes reach the average annual imports recorded in the period from July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023 – we read in the announcement.
As reported, for eggs and sugar the average is 23,188.96 tons and 262,652.68 tons, respectively.
– Article 4 of Regulation 2024/1392 states that once these quantities are reached, the Commission has 14 days to reintroduce the appropriate DCFTA tariff quota between the EU and Ukraine. Since imports of eggs and sugar from Ukraine from the beginning of 2024 already exceed the volumes specified in the DCFTA tariff quota, additional imports will continue with tariffs imposed by the most favored nation (MFN), according to the statement.
What in 2025? As added, from January 1, 2025 to June 5, 2025, a new tariff quota will be introduced corresponding to five twelfths of the threshold set for activating the emergency brake. For eggs, the new quota was set at 9,662.07 tonnes and for sugar at 109,438.62 tonnes.
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Customs duties on Ukrainian eggs and sugar are back. They will be effective from July 2
How much does Ukraine exports eggs and sugar?
The EC's announcement shows that Ukraine exported a total of 32,000 tons of egg products to all third countries in 2022 and 57,000 tons in 2023. In addition to the EU, it also exports to several countries in the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and West Africa.
What about sugar? – Regarding sugar, Ukraine exported a total of around 181,000 tonnes in 2022 and 508,000 tonnes in 2023. From November 2023, Ukraine started exporting to destinations in Europe outside the EU, as well as to countries in Africa and the Middle East – given.
When did the limits end?
We would like to remind you that the issue of exceeding these limits has already been described earlier. Polish Radio journalist Beata Płomecka informed that the import limit was PLN 260,000. tons of sugar were exceeded already at the beginning of June this year, and in the Commission's opinion there was a dispute about imposing customs duties on sugar imports from Ukraine.
Industry organizations in Ukraine also expressed similar views. Because on May 17, Grzegorz Tomczyk wrote on farmer.pl that sugar exports from Ukraine to the EU had already reached the limit provided for in the approved free trade agreement. From this date, sugar from Ukraine should not enter the EU. Will it be similar with other "limits"?
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Ukraine has already exhausted its sugar export limit to the European Union! 
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Between Brussels and Kiev: Sugar imports and threats to sugar beet cultivation
