Kyiv is looking to broaden access to the European market for Ukraine’s goods.

Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka noted that Ukraine is relying on the continuation of autonomous trade preferences in the EU after June 5, 2025, and is actively collaborating with its partners to liberalize trade under the Association Agreement. Presently, efforts are concentrated on several key areas:

1. Temporarily excluding Ukraine from the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) until the war concludes and its economy recovers.
2. Preparations to sign an industrial visa-free agreement (ACAA), which would encompass up to 80% of industrial exports to the EU.

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova believes Ukraine will join the EU before 2030, but the integration process will be challenging due to the strong Ukrainian agricultural sector, which European farmers perceive as a threat to the EU market.

Notably, Czech and Slovak farmers have already protested cheaper imports from markets outside the EU, such as Ukraine and South America.