Ukraine's goal to join EU so that there’re no borders at all for logistics and exporters – dpty PM Kachka
Ukraine is focusing its efforts on maintaining current export conditions to the European Union, as access to foreign markets during wartime requires constant political and diplomatic protection, said Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.
"In fact, when you have access to a market, you need to constantly protect it. This is a titanic task… And this is very important work, especially with the European Union, since it is our most important market," he said at the Forbes Ukraine Exporters Summit.
Kachka noted that the domestic economy continues to "earn a lot from exports," but key industries—metallurgy, wood processing, and agriculture—operate in "very rigid markets." In these niches, economic interests constantly intersect with "political agendas," such as environmental protection, decarbonization (CBAM), and protectionism on the part of individual EU member states.
As the Deputy Prime Minister noted, the Cabinet of Ministers is currently observing "significant successes" in increasing the number of crossing points in the southern direction – on the borders with Moldova, Romania, and Hungary. At the same time, modernization and repairs are ongoing to increase the capacity of crossing points on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Kachka also identified the simplification of border crossing procedures through authorized economic operators (AEOs) and the NCTS computerized transit system as a separate priority, allowing exporters to significantly reduce logistics time.
The official added that developing the western border remains a strategic objective, but Ukraine’s ultimate goal is joining the EU, so that "this border will no longer exist for transport as a whole." He noted that when coordinating cross-border issues, bureaucracy often "doesn’t double, but squares," which requires ongoing, systematic engagement with all neighbors.
In addition to logistics, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized financial support for exports. This year, a budget program was launched for the first time to support Ukrainian companies’ participation in international exhibitions, and work continues to increase the capital of the Export Credit Agency (ECA) to insure against war risks.
Kachka also announced stronger protection of the domestic market from trade threats. He stated that a bill has already been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada that would allow Ukraine to "respond more flexibly" to import threats, following the example of the USA and EU. Adoption of this document will allow for more rapid intervention in markets where risks arise for Ukrainian producers.
"The most important thing is to create an image of Ukrainian products as promising and trustworthy," the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.
