Ukrsugar chief: Duty-free export of 500,000 t of Ukrainian beet sugar to EU would be ideal

This year, sugar beet planting areas in Ukraine have decreased. While in the previous two years they amounted to 250,000 hectares, this year they have dropped to 210,000 hectares, said Ukrsugar Chairwoman Yana Kavushevska in an interview with Kommersant.

“As a result, we expect Ukraine to produce 1.4–1.5 million tons of sugar in 2025 — over 300,000 tons less than last year’s 1.8 million tons. Of course, much will depend on weather conditions, but Ukraine will definitely have enough sugar. Since 2022, domestic consumption has remained at around 900,000 tons annually, with the rest forming the export potential,” she said.

Kavushevska recalled that in 2023 Ukraine exported nearly 500,000 tons of sugar to the EU. That sugar was consumed within the European Union and helped stabilize a then-deficit market.

“If we could export 500,000 tons of sugar to the EU without duties, it would be ideal. And this would also be justified by the fact that Ukrainian sugar has a significant European cost component — we use European seeds, crop protection products, fuel, machinery, and equipment at our plants. The same cannot be said about sugar imported by the EU from Brazil, Guatemala, or Mauritius,” Kavushevska added.