Poland does not intend to import Ukrainian grain, citing its own strong export capabilities. This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture of Poland, Czesław Sekerski, commenting on the upcoming trade agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. According to him, during the negotiations, the different economic interests of the EU member states in the field of agricultural policy should be taken into account.

In an interview with the Bankier publication, Sekerski emphasized that Poland exports from 12 to 13 million tons of grain and corn every year, so it is not interested in importing additional agricultural products from Ukraine. He added that this position is due to the desire to protect the national agricultural sector, which is already facing problems due to excess supply and price competition.

Unlike Poland, some other EU countries, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Germany, are showing greater interest in Ukrainian agricultural imports. These countries either have a deficit in their own grain production or actively use imports for the needs of the livestock and food industries.

The Minister stressed that new terms of cooperation with Ukraine should be developed with maximum delicacy in order to avoid destabilizing the internal markets of individual EU countries. This is about the need to create a flexible system that will allow maintaining solidarity with Ukraine while protecting the interests of farmers in member states.

The current trade liberalization between Ukraine and the EU ends on June 6, and it will be replaced by temporary measures that will partially return trade conditions to the pre-war regime. However, some benefits for Ukrainian goods will remain for the transitional period. This decision was a compromise after numerous protests by European farmers, in particular in Poland, France and Romania.

It is expected that a new full-fledged trade agreement with Ukraine will be agreed upon after the completion of technical consultations. According to the European Commission, the active phase of negotiations will begin in the second half of 2025. That is when the parties should settle sensitive issues of agricultural exports, tariff quotas and customs regulation, taking into account the prospects of further integration of Ukraine into the European market.