Ukraine’s agricultural sector is grappling with significant challenges as Turkish tomato imports continue to rise. In 2025, imports surged by 31%, with Turkey controlling over 60% of the Ukrainian market for imported tomatoes by 2026, a trend that has persisted for decades.
Despite the cheaper price of imported goods, this influx is placing considerable pressure on local producers. Anti-dumping mechanisms exist, but they are rarely utilized due to the complexity and costs involved in the procedures. Even if violations are proven, the issue of restricting imports from the EU or Turkey could quickly escalate into a political matter.
Since the late 1990s, Turkey has been a dominant player in Ukraine’s tomato import market, consistently providing around 75% of all foreign supplies. However, 2025 marked a turning point, with Turkish products making up a record 82% of imports, leading to a negative trade balance of $140.4 million.
In July 2025, the Ukrainian government implemented anti-dumping duties on fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from Turkey following investigations. This action resulted in a slight decrease in Turkish imports, which fell to 63% from January to April 2026.
It’s important to clarify that cheaper imports do not inherently indicate trade violations. To classify a situation as dumping, specific legal facts must be established, such as whether goods are sold in Ukraine at prices lower than in the country of origin or if the producer receives state support that creates an uneven competitive landscape.
Legal expert Olena Omelchenko emphasized that without formal anti-dumping or countervailing investigations, it is challenging to claim that products like Polish cheese or Turkish tomatoes are imported under dumping conditions. Meanwhile, the European Union has broader support mechanisms for its agricultural sector compared to Ukraine, which accepted stricter commitments upon joining the WTO in 2008.
Turkey has previously pressured Ukraine to lift anti-dumping duties during bilateral negotiations, indicating that the matter has extended beyond legal considerations. The Ukrainian agricultural sector possesses the same trade protection tools as other industries, but the fragmented nature of small producers makes it difficult to gather the evidence needed for international representation.
Even if a sector proves dumping or subsidization, the government must balance the interests of producers with broader national priorities. This situation necessitates bold political and diplomatic actions concerning Ukraine’s economic integration with the EU.
Local producers often question why there is no protection against European imports. However, it raises a counter-question: are they prepared to advocate for closing the Ukrainian market to specific European goods while maintaining open access for Ukrainian products to the EU? These issues are interconnected.
The solution for Ukraine lies not only in restricting foreign imports but in creating conditions that allow local producers to compete fairly. This requires effective state support for producers, improved industry collaboration to protect interests, and systematic trade protection efforts where evidence of dumping or subsidization exists.
The Ukrainian government already has legal mechanisms to safeguard the domestic market. The challenge remains whether businesses are willing to utilize these tools and if the state is prepared to establish a long-term policy that fosters genuine competition for national producers.
Ukraine’s trade battle is not lost due to weak laws but rather where unequal production and export conditions have yet to be addressed through systematic state solutions.
Ukraine's agricultural sector is under pressure from rising Turkish tomato imports, which have surged significantly. Despite existing anti-dumping measures, local producers struggle to compete, highlighting the need for effective state support and industry collaboration.