EU will not extend “trade visa-free regime” for Ukraine after June 5, 2025

The European Union has no plans to introduce a new package of trade preferences for Ukraine after the current mechanism expires on June 5, 2025. The terms of trade between Ukraine and the EU will return to those that were in place before Russia’s full-scale aggression.

A senior EU official, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed this information in a comment to Yevropeiska Pravda.

According to the information received, autonomous trade measures (ATMs) will not be automatically extended after the specified period expires.

The source clarified that this refers to both the end of preferences and temporary restrictions that currently apply to certain Ukrainian goods, such as poultry, eggs, honey, etc.

However, he said, the possibility of maintaining some preferences for certain exports from Ukraine, such as duty-free treatment for steel supplies, is being considered.

In the future, the EU plans to work with the Ukrainian side to update Article 29 of the Association Agreement. According to the official, this process aims to create favorable conditions for trade and support the Ukrainian economy in times of war.

As a reminder, Polish Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Sekerski noted that the European Commission has not yet submitted a new proposal to the EU Council regarding the trade regime with Ukraine.

In May 2024, after lengthy negotiations, the EU Council decided to extend the current preferential trade regime for another year—until June 5, 2025. According to previous agreements, the principles of duty-free trade should be integrated into the Association Agreement itself.