Emergency brake triggered for oat imports from Ukraine

As of tomorrow and until 5 June 2025, Ukrainian oats imported into the EU will take place within the tariff quota from the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) in place since 2016 between the two parties. The automatic reintroduction of this tariff quota is a result of the revised Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) in place since 6 June 2024.

The ATM regulation includes an emergency brake for several products, including oats, which is automatically triggered if import volumes reached the average yearly imports recorded between 1 July 2021 and 31 December 2023. For oats, this average is 2.440,56 tonnes. Once this volume is reached, the Commission reintroduces the corresponding tariff-rate quota from the DCFTA within 14 days. The quota for oats is set at 4.000 tonnes. As imports since the beginning of 2024 are above this volume, most-favoured nations (MFN) duties will apply until the end of 2024. The DCFTA quota will be again available as of 1 January 2025. 

Ukraine exported slightly over 7,000 tonnes of oats to all third countries in 2022 and 11,173 tonnes from July 2023 to May 2024. In addition to the EU, it exports to a range of countries around the world: India, Iraq, Libya, Morocco, South Africa, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Vietnam to name a few.

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.