Ukraine can use EU third-country quota for 2.3 mln t of wheat

The EU’s separate quota for imports of Ukrainian wheat, totaling about 1.3 mln t, has already been fully used. Shipments above this volume are subject to a €95/t duty, significantly complicating further Ukrainian wheat exports to the European Union.

The European Commission has refused to increase the quota. According to Oleksandra Avramenko, head of the European integration committee at the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), Ukraine had asked the EC to raise the quota, but the Commission said trade terms between Ukraine and the EU were revised last year and are not currently planned to be changed.

At the same time, Ukrainian exporters can use a separate EU quota for third countries totaling 2.3 mln t. The quota is open to countries that do not have separate trade quotas with the EU under WTO rules and is currently almost unused. The duty on shipments within the quota is €12/t.

The quota could therefore provide an alternative channel for Ukrainian wheat exports to the EU. According to Avramenko, the possibility of using this mechanism was discussed as early as August. However, UCAB currently has no updated information on whether Ukrainian wheat is already being exported under the third-country quota.

Tags: Ukraine, export, EU, wheat, duties