The duties imposed by US President Donald Trump will not be critical for Ukraine, although they will create some difficulties.
This was stated by the Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, who noted that a general duty of 10% will apply to Ukrainian goods. At the same time, there are no separate increased rates for Ukraine, such as for Moldova (31%) or the EU (20%).
According to her, in 2024, Ukraine exported $874 million worth of products to the United States, of which $363 million was cast iron and another $112 million was pipes. At the same time, imports from the US totalled $3.4 billion.
Ukrainian duties on US goods remain relatively low: 10% on cars and 0% on coal and oil.
‘Therefore, we now have a chance to negotiate other terms – the US statement clearly indicates this possibility. If everything remains as it is, the US universal duty will hit mainly small producers. Therefore, we are already working to ensure that Ukraine has better conditions,’ Svyrydenko said.
Currently, Ukraine supplies over 600 categories of goods to the US, 65 of which have exports of over $1 million. The minister stressed that Kyiv is working to obtain more favourable trade terms, as both countries benefit from fair duties.
On 2 April, US President Donald Trump unveiled global reciprocal tariffs. Trump also stated that the US trade deficit has become a national crisis, and many of the country’s allies are receiving unjustified benefits. The new tariffs, he said, would ensure fair conditions for the US economy.