“Duties” could be word of the year: How trade restrictions flooded the media space

UkrAgroConsult

In 2025, the issue of duties and trade barriers has become an inseparable part of news feeds — from agricultural goods to industrial products — fueling the idea that “duties” might well become the word of the year. Since Donald Trump’s return to power, the topic has rarely left the front pages of leading outlets. Around the world, governments have been actively introducing new duties, revising export taxes, or delivering retaliatory blows under external pressure — all of which dominate the political and economic debate.

Following the global trend, Ukraine is also in the spotlight: recent changes in soybean and rapeseed exports have turned duties into a daily, months-long concern for agribusiness. Insider reports of potential duties were soon followed by the drama of parliamentary votes and presidential signatures, and then the very real complications at customs duties. After the duties were introduced, exports virtually ground to a halt as customs officials struggled to determine how exporters could prove they had grown the crops themselves. Some companies were forced to pay duties while simultaneously preparing lawsuits to secure producer exemptions. Meanwhile, certain MPs push for a full cancellation of duties, while analysts fuel the news cycle with speculation about government moves. These ongoing twists now dominate not only agricultural media but also private business channels, creating a drawn-out yet compelling “Ukrainian agrarian duties saga.”

Interestingly, the Ukrainian word “митниця” (customs office) derives from “мито” — literally, duties.

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Tags: duties, Ukraine, China, Canada, USA