Ukraine seeks to renegotiate EU agricultural export quotas

Ukraine is seeking to renegotiate its access to the European Union agricultural market. Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi announced plans to resume consultations with the European Commission in September to increase duty-free export quotas for sensitive products, including eggs, poultry, sugar, honey, wheat, and corn.

The push for expanded market access comes as Ukraine faces severe logistical challenges. Russian attacks on Black Sea ports and maritime infrastructure have significantly disrupted sea freight. Recent data indicates a sharp decline in grain exports, with August figures showing a 76 percent year-on-year drop according to Ukrzaliznytsia.

In addition to maritime security threats, extreme drought has lowered the water levels of the Danube River, complicating one of Ukraine’s primary alternative transport routes. These combined factors have led to grain accumulating in storage, raising concerns about insufficient warehouse capacity ahead of new harvests.