EU extends duty-free regime for Ukrainian steel: What is known
Photo: Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The European Union has extended the duty-free regime for the import of Ukrainian steel and iron for another three years. This means that Ukrainian producers will continue to be able to export their products to EU countries without quotas, duties, or other restrictions, according to Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Yuliia Svyrydenko.
"The trade visa-free regime will remain in place for Ukrainian steel and iron. The EU has extended the preferential regime for the import of Ukrainian steel and iron for another three years — beyond June 6, 2025. This means our producers will continue to supply their products to EU countries without quotas, duties, or other restrictions," said Svyrydenko.
According to her, this decision is very timely.
"During the years of war, Ukraine’s metallurgical industry has been one of the hardest hit. Some plants have been destroyed, others are operating at the limit. But they are holding on and need access to markets to preserve jobs, generate foreign currency revenue for the country, and contribute to reconstruction," stated the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
At the same time, Svyrydenko noted that Ukrainian products are needed by the European market.
According to her, in 2024, Ukrainian exporters supplied iron and steel products to the EU worth over $1.8 billion (more than 3.4 million tonnes). In the first quarter of 2025 alone, exports amounted to another $422 million (almost 800,000 tonnes).
"I am grateful to our partners in the European Union for this decision. It is a show of support for a country that is defending European values at the cost of human lives and economic losses," concluded the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
Trade visa-free regime
The EU introduced autonomous trade measures with Ukraine on June 4, 2022. This was done to support Ukrainian producers and the economy at a time when the country was forced to defend itself amid Russian aggression.
In January of this year, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal spoke about Ukraine's efforts to conclude an "industrial visa-free regime" with the European Union.
However, last month, Western media reported that the EU was preparing to introduce significantly higher tariffs on Ukrainian imports within a few weeks.
At the beginning of the year, it was expected that the EU’s trade support measures for Ukraine would be more modest and that the volume of imports into the EU would decrease.
