The UK's zero-tariff trade agreement with the Government of Ukraine extended 🆕
Kenan Poleo
His Majesty’s Consul General Istanbul and Trade Commissioner Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Supporting Ukraine
What does the future of Ukraine look like to the UK?
🇺🇦 Free, Secure and Prosperous.
It is not a complicated answer.
No grand academic research papers were required to arrive at those three words.
But the simplicity of the answer should not betray the enormity of the task ahead of us.
To make it a reality, the UK must continue to act as a world leader when it comes to supporting the Ukrainian economy and boosting trade.
And that is exactly what we have done this week. 👇
With Minister Greg Hands signing a 5-year extension to our zero-tariff trade agreement with Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. ✍️
This agreement will secure tariff-free trade under our bilateral FTA for a further five years for all goods, with poultry and eggs being liberalised for two years.
How will this deal help Ukrainian businesses❔
This zero-tariff extension to 2029 will help to facilitate exports of key Ukrainian products such as grains, honey, and tinned tomatoes, providing much needed relief to Ukrainian businesses, at a time when they need it most.
Ukraine’s economy grew by almost 5% in 2023, and we want to see it continue to grow in 2024. 📈
Economic strength will enable the future security of Ukraine.
This 5-year extension is not the only example of our commitment to helping rebuild and bolster the Ukrainian economy.
Digital Trade 🤖
In the coming months our historic Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) will be coming into force.
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It is the most ambitious digital trade agreement that the UK has ever signed and reflects our shared expertise in digital trade.
Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of information technology services globally.
Cybersecurity and AI were in rapid development before the war and will be vital in securing the future economic security of Ukraine.
As a digital global leader, the UK is ideally positioned to aid Ukraine’s post-conflict transition to a digital economy, with over two-thirds of our services exports to Ukraine already digitally delivered.
TechBridge 👩💻
Our new initiative - the UK-Ukraine TechBridge will further encourage collaboration between UK and Ukrainian tech sectors to support Ukraine’s recovery.
The programme will ensure that both British and Ukrainian tech businesses sectors have access to each other’s markets for commercial opportunities, making the most of the UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement.
The UK will always be a steadfast ally to Ukraine ✅
Just last month, the Prime Minister was in Kyiv singing the historic UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation.
The Prime Minister formalised a range of support for Ukraine’s security, including intelligence sharing, cyber security, medical and military training, and defence industrial cooperation.
The UK will also provide £2.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2024/25, an increase of £200 million on the previous two years.
Of the £2.5 billion, at least £200 million will be spent on a major push to rapidly procure and produce thousands of military drones for Ukraine, including surveillance, long-range strike and sea drones.
The technology will give Ukraine cutting edge, battle-tested capabilities to defend their citizens and homes on land and sea.
The UK is already one of Ukraine’s closest partners, because we recognise their security is our security. 🤝
Through both economic and military support: The UK will always stand with Ukraine.