Ukraine loses 2 bln euros due to changed rules of trade with EU - experts

MOSCOW. Dec 16 (Interfax) - Ukraine could not deliver 2 billion euros worth of agricultural products to foreign markets because of changes in the rules of trade with the European Union in 2025, Ukrainian media quoted head of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club's European integration committee Alexander Avramenko as saying at the Doing Agribusiness in Ukraine conference.

"The year of 2025 has been generous in terms of formats for Ukraine's cooperation with the EU," Avramenko said. Ukraine had three trade frameworks with the EU for the first time in history. The first format included the Autonomous Trade Measures, or unilateral trade privileges introduced by the EU to support Ukraine. The ATMs were in effect until the end of June 2025. The second framework is a five-month transitional period after the ATMs were terminated. And the third framework entered into force on October 29, 2025.

"Destabilization and a lack of predictability [in trade with the EU] resulted in Ukraine's exports of agricultural products being 2 billion euros less as of December 1, 2025, with 95% of them under-exported to the EU. It means that the products that were not exported to the EU were not actually exported anywhere. It's quite critical," Avramenko said.

However, having new trade arrangements is much better than not having them at all, she said, Hopefully, this year Ukrainian exporters have gained some experience in delivering products to the European market under the new rules and will better understand the new trade mechanism in 2026, she said.

The updated trade agreement between the EU and Ukraine also includes the Cyber Measures mechanism, which allows any country feeling pressure from Ukrainian agricultural exports to go to the European Commission, which will investigate the situation and will restrict imports from Ukraine if necessary, Avramenko said.