European Commission proposes temporary tariff cuts for Ukrainian exports to the EU

EU News 109/2014

IP/14/250
Brussels, 11 March 2014

The European Commission today adopted a proposal for temporarily removing customs duties on Ukrainian exports to the EU.

Following the recent unprecedented events in the country and the security, political and economic challenges faced by Ukraine, on 6 March 2014 the European Council stated its support to help stabilize Ukraine's economy with a package of measures. One of these was the granting of autonomous trade preferences, set out in today's proposal for an EU Council/Parliament Regulation.

The idea is not to await the entry into force of the Association Agreement's (AA) provisions on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), but to advance the implementation of its tariffs section by means of autonomous trade preferences and to start unilaterally the reduction or elimination of the EU's customs duties on goods originating in Ukraine. However, the preferences are not a substitute for the DCFTA and will be granted for a limited period only: until 1 November 2014. It is expected that the DCFTA between the EU and Ukraine will be signed and provisionally apply before the 1st November 2014 in which case the unilateral system of autonomous trade preferences ends.

Source and additional information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-250_en.htm?locale=en

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