The 27 give the green light to the exemption of tariffs for imports from Ukraine

BRUSSELS, 24 May. (EUROPE PRESS) -

The Twenty-seven have given their approval on Tuesday to the suspension for one year of European tariffs on imports from Ukraine, a measure that already has the approval of the European Parliament and that aims to give new support to the economy of the country in war.

Weeks ago, the European Commission presented a detailed proposal to free up taxes and other trade barriers for twelve months on quotas exported from Ukraine, with the aim of helping Ukraine recover its trade routes abroad, weighed down by the Russian invasion.

Specifically, the exemption covers the total suspension of tariffs for industrial goods, the suspension also of entry prices for fruit and vegetables and anti-dumping measures, in addition to safeguard measures for steel imports for one year.

The European Union and Ukraine have had a free trade association since 2016 to promote exchange between the two regions, but it is a progressive application agreement, so there are still sectors that do not benefit from the "zero quotas and zero tariffs" principle. that Brussels now offers for a period of twelve months.

Since the beginning of the war, the EU has already implemented other initiatives to facilitate the transport of goods from Ukraine by land to the rest of the world, with measures such as liberalizing the rules for truck drivers transporting goods to the EU from this country or allow Ukrainian carriers to use EU infrastructure.

According to data from community services, last year the EU and Ukraine had trade exchanges worth 52,000 million euros, double the volume registered in 2016 when the free trade pact entered into force. The EU is Ukraine's main trading partner, accounting for 40% of merchandise trade with this country in 2021.