Poland will strive for the European Union to return customs duties on corn and some other agricultural products exported from Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic Janusz Kowalski said, speaking in parliament.
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According to him, Poland will raise this issue on January 30 during a meeting of the Council of Ministers for Agriculture of the European Union.
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Kovalsky informed the deputies that from January to October 2022, corn imports from Ukraine amounted to 1.4 million tons. During the same time, Polish corn exports amounted to 3 million tons, which is twice as much as in the same period in 2021. “This suggests that most of the corn from Ukraine is exported in the future, but there is a problem,” the official said.
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“I will urge the entire Polish government … to protect the interests of Polish farmers and demand from the EU, for example, financing of warehouse infrastructure or compensation for farmers who, for geopolitical reasons, suffer losses,” he added.
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Kowalski stressed that Poland cannot impose duties on its own, and a protective instrument such as a pledge cannot be introduced either, since it is not provided for by EU law.
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The Deputy Minister recalled that in accordance with the regulation of the European Parliament and the EU Council, until June 5, 2023, trade in agricultural products with Ukraine was liberalized. This decree introduces zero customs rates for certain goods from Ukraine, suspends the use of the entry price system, suspends all tariff quotas and provides that even after its expiration, anti-dumping duties are not levied on imports coming from Ukraine.
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“As the Ministry of Agriculture, we will strive to exclude part of the production from liberalization, to protect Polish poultry farming, Polish apples and the juice processing industry,” Kowalski said.
