The European Commission intends to extend the suspension of duties and quotas for imports to the EU from Moldova for another year.
As noted in its message, in particular, on May 2, the European Commission proposed to resume and extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on Moldovan exports to the European Union, known as Autonomous Trade Measures (ATM), for another 1 year. The proposal extends the current suspension of import duties on Moldovan exports to the EU for another year and extends this suspension to all remaining tariffs and tariff quotas on Moldovan imports. It is emphasized that this is a clear signal of the EU's full support for the Moldovan economy, and it will contribute to further mitigating the difficult situation in which Moldovan producers and exporters find themselves due to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. While the purpose of the ATM is to support the Moldovan economy, the measures take into account possible problems in the EU agricultural sector, including a fast-track protection mechanism that can be activated if necessary to protect the EU market. Now this proposal of the European Commission will be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union in order to ensure a smooth transition from the current ATM regime to the new one. As noted in the European Commission, the autonomous trade measures that came into force on July 25, 2022 had a positive impact on Moldova's trade with the EU. Moldovan exports to the rest of the world suffered from the war in Ukraine because they often depended on transit through Ukrainian territory and Ukrainian infrastructure. Last year, ATMs helped Moldova redirect exports through the EU. In general, exports from Moldova to the EU increased from 1.8 billion euros in 2021 to 2.6 billion euros in 2022. As noted, unilateral and temporary ATMs significantly expand the scope of tariff liberalization within the framework of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Zone EU-Moldova trade, suspending all outstanding duties and quotas. In practice, this means that the export of 7 agricultural products from Moldova, which are subject to tariff quotas, will now be fully liberalized: tomatoes, garlic, table grapes, apples, cherries, plums and grape juice. Most Moldovan exports already enjoy duty-free access to the EU market under the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, and the number and range of products covered by ATM are small.// 02.05.2023 — InfoMarket
