Ukraine’s two-way food trade with the EU increased by 14%

Ukraine’s two-way food trade with the EU increased by 14% during the first four months of this year, reports Olha Trofimtseva, deputy minister for European Integration of the Agrarian Policy and Food ministry. Ukraine’s exports accounted for two thirds of the $2.8 billion in two-way trade. Countering farmers’ complaints of EU protectionism, Trofimtseva said: “Quotas are not yet fully used for such goods as grape juice, oats, honey, barley cereals, processed tomatoes…quotas for barley and barley flour, eggs, albumins and milk remain unused.” She described as ‘almost unused’ Ukraine’s export quotas for: garlic oats, mushrooms, processed milk products, sugar and sugar syrups. The EU buys almost one third of Ukraine’s food exports.