The European Union and Ukraine have reached a new agreement under the review of their Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), significantly expanding agricultural and poultry trade between the two sides.
Under the revised terms, Ukraine’s poultry export quota to the EU will increase by one-third, from 90,000 tons to 120,000 tons annually, while its egg export quota will triple from 6,000 to 18,000 tons.
In return, Ukraine will permit duty-free imports of up to 120,000 tons of poultry meat per year, a sharp rise from the previous 20,000-ton limit.
The European Council stated that market access for sensitive products such as sugar, poultry, eggs, wheat, maize, and honey will remain ‘limited and gradual,’ ensuring a balanced approach to liberalization.
Denmark’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen welcomed the development, noting that the removal of customs duties would foster economic stability, reinforce trade ties, and strengthen Ukraine’s integration with the European Union.
However, several EU member states have voiced opposition to the new terms. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania warned that the deal could destabilize agricultural markets across Europe.
Hungary’s State Secretary for Agriculture, József Viszki, criticized the agreement for lacking adequate safeguards to protect local farmers from increased Ukrainian imports.
Despite the concerns, Ukraine’s poultry exports to Europe have continued to rise. Between January and August 2025, the country exported poultry worth $716 million, 13% higher than in the same period last year, according to the Ukrainian Union of Poultry Farmers.
The EU remained Ukraine’s largest export destination, accounting for 83,100 tons or 28.2% of total exports. The Netherlands was the top importer, followed by Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Slovakia.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has backed a new $12.26 million loan by Credit Agricole Ukraine to Dniprovska Group, the nation’s second-largest poultry producer.
The EBRD will guarantee $5 million of the loan risk to support the company’s recovery and stabilization efforts following wartime losses of land and production facilities.
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