Emergency brake triggered for eggs and sugar imports from Ukraine

As of tomorrow, 2 July 2024, the tariff rate quotas from the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) are reintroduced for imports of eggs and sugar from Ukraine into the EU. The revised Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs), in place since 6 June 2024, includes an emergency brake for seven agricultural products to be automatically triggered if import volumes reach the average yearly imports recorded between 1 July 2021 and 31 December 2023. 

For eggs and sugar, this average is 23 188.96 tonnes and 262 652.68 tonnes respectively. Article 4 of Regulation 2024/1392 establishes that once these volumes are reached, the Commission has 14 days to reintroduce the corresponding tariff-rate quota from the DCFTA between the EU and Ukraine. As imports of eggs and sugar from Ukraine since the beginning of 2024 are already above the volumes set in the DCFTA tariff-rate quota, additional imports will continue with most-favoured nations (MFN) duties.

As of 1 January 2025 and until 5 June 2025, a new tariff-rate quota, corresponding to five twelfth of the threshold set for triggering the emergency brake will be introduced. For eggs, this new quota is set at 9 662.07 tonnes and for sugar, it is at 109 438.62 tonnes. 

Ukraine exported to all third countries a total 32 000 tonnes of egg products in 2022 and 57 000 tonnes in 2023. In addition to the EU, it also exports to several countries in the Middle East, the Arab Peninsula and Western Africa. 

Regarding sugar, Ukraine exported in total about 181 000 tonnes in 2022 and 508 000 tonnes in 2023. Since November 2023, Ukraine started exporting to non-EU destinations in Europe, as well as to countries in Africa and the Middle East. 

Background

In force since 4 June 2022, the Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) have had a clear positive effect on Ukraine's trade to the EU. Together with the Solidarity Lanes, the ATMs have ensured that trade flows from Ukraine to the EU have remained remarkably stable in 2022 and 2023 despite the major disruptions caused by the war and against the general trend of a decrease of Ukraine's trade overall. EU imports from Ukraine amounted to €22.8 billion in 2023 compared to pre-war levels of €24 billion in 2021.

The latest ATMs have introduced an emergency brake for eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, maize, groats and honey, to also be mindful of EU sensitivities. The precise level of imports and the relevant trigger levels can be followed in real time on the customs union’s webpage.