Ukraine PM advocates for increasing EU quotas on Ukrainian agri-exports

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has been advocating during his meetings with European officials for the increase of EU quotas on Ukrainian farm produce, which are set by the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine.

"I have discussed this issue with EU Commissioner [Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations] Hahn, the issue of increasing quotas on Ukrainian products where it would be possible. I will continue raising this topic tomorrow," Groysman said at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Kutovyi also noted the need to increase quotas to enhance the country's export potential.

As UNIAN reported earlier, previously the prime minister stated that Ukraine expected to receive additional trade preferences of the European Union regarding the Ukrainian products as early as September.

Read alsoPoroshenko: EU deal gradually compensating for Ukraine's losses caused by RussiaIn late June, the agrarian minister said that the Ukrainian side had managed to receive the EU consent to revise upwards its quotas on exports of Ukrainian farm produce to the EU markets.

Export quotas on agricultural products, which have been set by the Association Agreement, are tariff-based and define the volume of goods that can be exported free of duties.

Read alsoOpening Europe for Ukrainian SMBsIn 2015, Ukraine's exports of some products exceeded the pre-defined quotas. Thus, Ukraine's exports of honey exceeded the tariff quota four times last year, while juice exports exceeded the tariff quota by seven times. Exports of corn exceeded the tariff quota by almost 20 times.