The European Commission has proposed to renew by another year the suspension of all remaining duties on Moldovan imports in force since July 2022. This means in practice that exports of seven agricultural products from Moldova which are subject to tariff-rate quotas will continue to be fully liberalized: tomatoes, garlic, table grapes, apples, cherries, plums and grape juice, IPN reports.
The Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) for Moldova have been in force since 25 July 2022. Moldova’s exports to the rest of the world have suffered from Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine as they often relied on transit through Ukrainian territory and Ukrainian infrastructure. The ATMs have assisted Moldova’s efforts to re-orient exports via the EU. Overall, exports from Moldova to the EU increased from €1.8 billion in 2021 to €2.6 billion in 2022.
The Commission also proposed to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year, while reinforcing protection for sensitive EU agricultural products.
The proposals will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
