The Slovak government has announced that the import ban on agricultural products from Ukraine is being lifted, following an approval from the country’s agriculture ministry. The official line from the agency, reported by TASR, confirms that from May 13 onward Ukraine’s goods will be governed by the European Union framework rather than national rules. The statement clarifies that the ban on certain Ukrainian foods entering Slovakia and the separate rules for domestic transport of these items have been formally canceled.
This shift follows actions by the European Commission that previously restricted grain exports from Ukraine to several Central and Eastern European neighbors. The EC allowed transit and export of Ukrainian grain to other EU member states, subject to a defined window. The measures in question were set to run from May 2 to June 5, 2023. During that period, wheat, corn, sunflowers, and rapeseed from Ukraine could move freely throughout the European Union, with the exception of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, where additional constraints remained in place. This framework aimed to balance open markets with regional concerns about supply and price stability.
The evolving policy reflects ongoing coordination between Slovakia and its EU partners to align import controls with the broader trade rules that govern agricultural goods across the union. Observers note that the changes are part of a larger effort to harmonize cross border movement of agricultural products while ensuring compliance with EU safety and quality standards. The official communication attributes the decision to the unified stance of EU member states, facilitated by the European Commission and the Slovak agricultural authorities, as reported by TASR. The practical impact for traders is a clearer, EU aligned regime for Ukrainian products moving through Slovakia and elsewhere in the bloc. In Slovakia, the change marks the end of the unilateral restrictions that had previously limited certain Ukrainian imports and internal transportation rules. Market participants are watching closely to assess how these shifts will affect prices, supply chains, and consumer access to Ukrainian agricultural goods within Slovakia and across neighboring markets.