The European Commission will introduce tariffs on egg imports from Ukraine into the European Union in the next two weeks, following the annual quota agreed upon for these imports, a spokesperson said, as reported by European Supermarket Magazine.

The EU has set limits on certain agricultural imports from Ukraine following the country's access to free trade, granted to help its economy after Russia's invasion in 2022, which has angered EU farmers and led to a wave of rural protests this year.

The Commission, the EU's executive arm, announced it will impose tariffs on oat imports from Ukraine after reaching the volume threshold for cereals.

Regarding eggs, imports into the EU increased by three-quarters last year and continued to rise earlier this year, with Ukraine being the main supplier, according to EU data.

The European egg industry has complained that the influx of cheaper Ukrainian supplies has hindered a recovery in production from recent avian flu outbreaks, which have devastated poultry stocks in recent years.

Ukraine's Ministry of Agriculture declined to comment on the planned tariffs for eggs. The Ukrainian Egg Producers' Union was not immediately available for comment.

EU restrictions on agricultural imports from Ukraine also cover poultry, sugar, cereals, maize, and honey.

Ukraine announced at the end of May that it would ban sugar exports to the EU for the rest of this year because the volume limit had been reached, although EU data showed nearly 44,000 metric tons remained available out of a total of approximately 263,000 metric tons.

Elsewhere, winter grain crops in Ukraine are expected to ripen at least two weeks earlier than usual due to unusually high temperatures in most regions at the end of May and beginning of June, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Agriculture. (Photo: Freepik)