In January-April 2018, the foreign trade turnover of agrarian and food products between Ukraine and European Union countries increased by almost 14% compared to the same period last year and amounted to $ 2.8 billion. At the same time, agricultural exports to the EU countries during this time grew by $ 145 million compared with 2017 and amounted to $ 1.9 billion. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on European Integration Olga Trofimtseva.

"It is a pleasure to note the steady growth of bilateral trade of agrarian and food products between Ukraine and the European Union. Today, the main import tariff quotas of the EU for Ukrainian honey, malt and wheat gluten, processed tomatoes, grape and apple juices, corn, wheat and flour have already been completely exhausted," the Deputy Minister emphasized.

According to Olga Trofimtseva, the biggest demand from European consumers today have such Ukrainian products as cereals, their exports to the EU in this period amounted to $ 749.5 million, vegetable oils - $ 370.9 million, oilseeds - $ 194.3 million, residues and wastes from the food industry - $ 177.2 million, meat and edible offal of poultry - $ 76.4 million.

The Deputy Minister added that almost all import tariff quotas for the following products remain unused: garlic (494.9 tons), oats (3476.9 tons), sugar (18121.35 tons), other sugar (12,720 tons), mushrooms (500 tons), processed milk products (1992 tons), sugar syrups (2000 tons), and others.

"I note that additional quotas have not yet been fully used on the basis of "first comes - first served" principle on such goods as: grape juice, oats, honey, barley groats, processed tomatoes. There are also no additional quotas on the principle of "licensing" for barley and barley flour, eggs, albumins and milk", - Olga Trofimtseva said.

According to the Deputy Minister, the total Ukrainian agrarian and food exports to all countries of the world for 4 months of 2018 amounted to almost $ 6 billion. The most important share in the commodity structure of exports is taken by cereal crops - 37%, vegetable oils - 26.1%, and oilseeds - 9%.