Poland, Ukraine in Talks to Regulate Imports, Ease Farmer Discontent

On Thursday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited Poland for discussions with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Their agenda focused on addressing concerns raised by Polish and other western European farmers about the influx of inexpensive Ukrainian agricultural imports. These imports are causing discontent among farmers, who argue that they undermine their earnings.

Amidst increasing protests by farmers across various countries and rising tensions between Ukraine and its close ally, Poland, over the duty-free entry of Ukrainian agricultural products, Tusk hinted at Poland’s intention to propose import quotas during the negotiations. Additionally, he mentioned the possibility of enhancing the flow of these imports to countries in need.

The European Union had significantly opened its market to Ukrainian agricultural goods as a gesture of support, especially after Russia’s invasion in 2022 disrupted Ukraine’s traditional export pathways.

Nevertheless, in response to grievances from European farmers, EU legislators have recently concurred that reintroducing quotas on certain Ukrainian food products might be a viable solution to mitigate the issue.