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New York TimesMar 23
EU Agrees to Fresh Curbs on Ukrainian Food Imports
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The Facts
Amid months of farmers' protests and some EU countries calling for tougher trade restrictions, the bloc's lawmakers on Wednesday reached a tentative deal to extend the continuation of tariff-free imports from Ukraine into the EU for another year.
However, in a bid to satisfy European farmers, the provisional deal agrees to reduce imports on many Ukrainian foodstuffs, as well as to introduce a levy that kicks in if the quantities imported of poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, maize, and honey exceeds the average from 2022 and 2023.
The Spin
Narrative A
EU officials are closely monitoring Ukrainian imports. While the deal does not impose a blanket ban, there are mechanisms in place to prevent European markets from being flooded with cheap produce. The new agreement toughens these restrictions — a sign from EU officials to farmers that they're listening to their concerns.
Narrative B
Rather than alleviating concerns, the farmers' protests are only spreading. They are neither confined to a few Eastern countries nor to the issue of Ukrainian imports — protests are now taking place across the continent and farmers are angry at a variety of different issues.
