Ukraine will be able to ensure predictability of trade flows to EU – Kachka
Ukraine will be able to ensure predictability of trade flows to the European Union, and this will be more effective than the introduction of tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural products by the European Commission after the end of the autonomous trade measures on June 5, said Deputy Minister of Economy – Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka.
"It's about the attention (of the Ukrainian government) to trade flows, about the agreements between Ukraine and the EU in 2023-2024, about regional control over the flow of grain products from Ukraine to the five neighboring member states and the system of export licenses introduced by Ukraine. This is evidence that we are listening to the concerns of our partners. We are convinced that we can ensure the predictability of trade flows from Ukraine to the EU better than any tariffs," he said at the online discussion "The Future of the Ukraine-EU Trade Regime: the Position of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Community".
The trade representative recalled that Ukraine buys many resources and products that are necessary for the production of Ukrainian agricultural products from the EU. Therefore, the products that Ukraine supplies to it have a European component, and there cannot be a biased attitude towards them.
Kachka noted that Ukraine is actually a pillar for the EU farming community, because thanks to Ukrainian agricultural products, price stability is maintained on the EU market and deficits are covered.
"We support producers in the EU, and we are also major clients of EU producers," he emphasized.
Kachka emphasized that the earlier Ukraine and the EU fully liberalize trade, in particular in agricultural products, the more opportunities Ukrainian and European farmers will have for adaptation. In the medium and long term, Ukraine is the solution to all the EU's challenges in agriculture, he emphasized.
"Today, the whole world is discussing tariffs, their expansion, and their benefits. This is about the decision of the US administration to introduce additional tariffs on EU products and make them higher than on Ukrainian goods. This is really painful (the decision) and sometimes so much that we see the reaction of the European Union," Kachka drew an analogy with the US quotas on EU goods and the attitude of European countries to the quotas of Ukrainian agricultural products.
He added that it is inappropriate to discuss the introduction of EU tariffs against Ukrainian products.
"For us - for Ukraine and the European Union - it is important to maintain and improve market access, since this is important for both sides," the Ukrainian trade representative summed up.