EU, US disagree on tariffs for Ukrainian products

The EU and the US have disagreements over the abolition of tariffs on Ukrainian products, Report informs referring to The Financial Times.

“The EU is trying to get the US on board with a tariff waiver,” said one diplomat. With the midterm elections taking place next week, it is unlikely to see any movement from the Biden administration at this point.

The EU suspended all tariffs and quotas from June 2022 until June 2023. The US, however, has removed only anti-dumping duties on steel. Commission officials have been urging the US to follow the EU’s lead for months. But the Biden administration fears being attacked by Republicans for allowing cheap imports to threaten American jobs, EU diplomats say.

The EU, meanwhile, will consider at today’s informal meeting how to extend its suspension, especially as Ukraine is now in negotiations to join the bloc.

“The question is whether we keep prolonging them or start to talk about something more permanent,” said one senior EU diplomat.