Ukrainian farmers now face severe restrictions, with limited duty-free access to the EU market. Corn quotas, once set at 14 million tons, have been drastically reduced to a mere 650,000 tons. Additionally, meat, sugar, eggs, and sunflower oil — once key export products — are now subject to quotas and tariffs.
These agricultural goods represented 60% of Ukraine's total exports, the majority of which went to the EU. As a result, billions of dollars in foreign currency are now out of reach, severely affecting Ukraine’s economic stability.
In 2022, the EU granted Ukraine near-total market access, a move that caused anger among Eastern and Central European member states. While countries like Poland expressed support, Ukraine is now facing a harsh reality: EU solidarity has its limits, and the economic repercussions of these new trade restrictions could prove devastating for Ukraine’s struggling agricultural sector.