In April 2024, the UK Government extended its tariff liberalisation on goods coming into the UK from Ukraine for a further five years (running to 31 March 2029). Following lobbying by the NFU, poultry meat and eggs were the sole exception due to market vulnerability, with tariff liberalisation agreed for two years until 31 March 2026, in recognition of the sensitivities of these products.
Ahead of this deadline, the NFU submitted extensive evidence to the government detailing the need for any continuation of these liberalisation measures to be time-limited, with annual reviews, and capped by volume.
The government has now announced a further two-year extension to this tariff liberalisation, which will last until March 2028. Responding to the news, NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw reiterated the sector’s support for Ukrainian farmers, but warned that the extension could have implications for British poultry producers.
“It’s imperative we find the right balance to ensure the success of both the Ukrainian and UK’s poultry meat and egg sectors now and in the future.”
NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw
He said: “UK farmers stand in solidarity with our farming colleagues in Ukraine.
“However, we are extremely concerned that the extension of full liberalisation for poultry meat and eggs for another two years could further impact significantly on domestic producers.
“We have always said this is about striking the right balance to provide practical support to Ukrainian farmers while not damaging sensitive sectors here at home.”
Imports on the rise
Poultry meat and egg imports from Ukraine have increased dramatically in recent years, rising significantly above the pre-war Free Trade Agreement Quotas.
In the first ten months of 2025 the UK imported 11,901 tonnes of Ukrainian shell eggs and products, and 43,409 tonnes of poultry meat. The UK has not traditionally imported eggs from Ukraine, however imports began in September 2024 and have continued to increase in quantities since then. The Ukrainian Tariff Rate Quota for shell eggs, prior to 2022, was 409 tonnes a year.
“Even amid the war, Ukraine remains one of the world’s largest chicken exporters,” Will noted. “Since the initial deal was signed in 2022, UK imports of Ukrainian chicken have risen by almost 300%."
For eggs, the increase is even more dramatic, Will said, as the UK didn't routinely import Ukrainian eggs prior to 2022 which is when the UK Government first suspended tariffs on all goods from Ukraine.
Poultry farmers under pressure
The news that poultry meat and eggs will continue to be imported tariff-free until 31 March 2028 is a shorter timeframe than the extension that has been applied to all other goods, which will run until 31 March 2029. However, pressure continues to mount upon British poultry producers, who have been grappling with increased costs of production, the effects of avian influenza and, more recently, new proposals under the government's Animal Welfare Strategy where a proposed ban on colony cages for laying hens could lead to an increase in imports of eggs.
NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw added: “UK farmers are proud to produce to high standards which the British public rightly values. We need the UK government to do what it said it would do to ensure British farming can compete on a level playing field and ensure that Ukrainian poultry imports meet our domestic animal welfare standards. Without this, we risk not only displacing British production through unsustainable volumes of imports, but with products that have been produced in ways that are illegal here.
“The monitoring of trade flows is vital and the UK government must be prepared to step in if poultry meat and egg imports continue to increase as it puts greater pressure on British producers at a time when they already face a number of challenges. It's imperative we find the right balance to ensure the success of both the Ukrainian and UK’s poultry meat and egg sectors now and in the future.”
