European Parliament extends "visa-free trade mode" for Ukrainian steel and iron for another three years

The European Parliament has extended the so-called "visa-free trade mode " - the suspension of quotas and customs duties - for Ukrainian iron and steel for three years, taking into account that from June 6, 2025, the general autonomous trade measures for Ukrainian goods exported to the European Union will end.

This is stated in the text of the European Parliament legislative resolution "Suspension of certain parts of Regulation (EU) 2015/478 on the import of Ukrainian products into the European Union", approved on Thursday, May 8, 2025, which is at the disposal of European Pravda.

The European Parliament resolution will extend the duty-free import of steel and iron from Ukraine to the EU until June 5, 2028.

“The European Commission is currently working on a long-term solution to ensure greater economic transparency in trade relations between the EU and Ukraine,” the European Parliament press service reported.

“The Ukrainian steel industry is the backbone of Ukraine’s economy. It continues to operate despite the fact that many workers have gone to the front and factories are under severe attack from Russia,” said the rapporteur of the European Parliament, Swedish MEP Karin Karlsbro (Renew Group).

354 MEPs voted in favour of the resolution, 147 against, and 53 abstained.

The legislative resolution will enter into force after its approval by the EU Council and official publication.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on April 30, the European Commission announced that it does not plan to extend the autonomous trade measures (ATM) regime for Ukraine (the so-called "trade visa-free mode"), which is in effect until June 5, but will ensure a smooth transition to a new scheme, where all conditions for trade liberalization will be fixed in the free trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU.