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Ukraine's soybean and rapeseed exports have come to a complete standstill after customs authorities cancelled declarations and confusion arose over verifying the origin of the grain. According to the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC), farmers are refusing to pay a new 10% duty, traders are counting losses on stalled vessels, and processors have already cut purchase prices.
Following the imposition of a 10% export duty on soybeans and rapeseed, oilseed shipments from Ukrainian ports have effectively come to a stop. The Ukrainian Agri Council has appealed to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, urging the government to resolve the situation urgently. According to Andriy Dykun, head of the Ukrainian Agri Council, exports have been completely blocked since 5 September.
"Exporting is only possible if the 10% duty is paid, but vessels are waiting in ports because these consignments contain mixed products — from both producers and traders," Dykun says. "The problem is that there is no clear procedure for documenting the origin of products grown directly by farmers or cooperatives. Under the law signed by Ukraine's president on 2 September 2025, these producers should be exempt from paying the duty, but at present it is impossible to implement this."
A large number of traders, anticipating the introduction of the export duty, had been buying rapeseed exclusively from producers since August. However, on 4 September, customs authorities cancelled all periodic customs declarations, including those belonging to producers who were supposed to be exempt from the duty.
The absence of a mechanism for customs to verify that goods were genuinely self-produced has forced producers to pay the 10% duty until origin can be officially proven. Domestic processors have taken advantage of the situation, gradually lowering purchase prices over the past week. For producers, being unable to sell rapeseed for export could become a reality for at least a month, until the legislation and verification mechanisms are adjusted.
Over the course of a single week, domestic rapeseed purchase prices fell from US$600 per metric tonne (including VAT) at the start of the week to US$585 per metric tonne by the end of the week. Export prices also dropped by US$15–20 per metric tonne, to US$520–530 per metric tonne. Rapeseed oil prices lost around US$30 per metric tonne over the past week, trading at €1,050–1,060 per metric tonne (FOB) at northern ports.
Ukrainian farmers and agricultural producers insist that drafting regulations to confirm self-produced goods during customs clearance falls under the responsibility of Ukraine's Ministry of Finance. In this regard, they have called on the government to take urgent measures to lift the export block, given that a swift resolution is critical for stabilising agricultural exports and preserving foreign currency revenues for the state budget.
"Unfortunately, this situation was foreseeable, and the Ukrainian Agri Council has consistently stressed that it is unacceptable to pass a law without establishing mechanisms to verify the origin of producers' goods. Now this has become a major problem," Dykun says.