News date: 21 May 2026
On May 20, 2026, Kyiv hosted the 6th annual “Trade Wars: Art of Protection” conference, organized by Ilyashev & Partners Law Firm in collaboration with Done. Yurydychna Praktyka Publishing House acted as the general media partner.
The country’s main analytical platform in international trade brought together over 100 participants: top managers of industrial enterprises, officials from the government and parliament, the leadership of the State Customs Service, and key Ukrainian business associations.
The key discussion topics included Ukrainian export strategies following the expiration of the EU’s autonomous trade measures, the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), countering the use of Russian raw materials in third countries, and challenges faced by importers during customs valuation.
Realities of European Integration: Political Challenges and Domestic Market Priority
During the first session dedicated to the challenges of domestic exporters, a heated debate emerged over the protection of strategic industries.
Oleh Dunda, Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, emphasized that Ukraine’s accession to the EU remains a political issue and will depend on the global geopolitical landscape after the war, noting that integration will not occur before its conclusion.
“Modern Europe is undergoing a profound industrial crisis. Under these circumstances, European leaders will rigorously protect their own markets to prevent domestic crises, making the interests of Ukrainian business secondary to them. It is time for our companies to stop operating under the ‘every man for himself’ principle. Our strong domestic market must become our sole capital. Business and the state must articulate a clear public demand to protect domestic producers to speak with Brussels from a position of pragmatism and strength,” Oleh Dunda stressed.
Ukrainian Exports Without Preferences: The Security Role of the Domestic Steel Industry
Participants focused on the outlook for exports amid the reintroduction of tariff-rate quotas starting July 1, 2026, in the European market, which absorbs over 80% of Ukrainian steel products.
Oleksandr Kalenkov, President of Ukrmetallurgprom, noted that the primary risks on the European track include new protectionist barriers and the implementation of CBAM, which, due to political pressure within the EU, could completely shut down the European market for Ukrainian steel by 2030. Another threat is the surge of imports in Ukraine’s domestic market from 25% to 40%, where a significant portion of products has a hidden Russian footprint (such as slabs processed in Turkey or China to circumvent sanctions). The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade) has already openly drawn attention to Kyiv’s passivity in protecting its economic perimeter.
“The European Commission warns: if Ukraine does not start strictly protecting its domestic market, it will turn into a gray zone for subsidized products from third countries. It is imperative to immediately adapt national trade remedy instruments to wartime realities. Otherwise, during reconstruction, billions of dollars will fund foreign factories instead of supporting the domestic steel and mining sector, which forms the bedrock of the country’s defense capabilities,” Oleksandr Kalenkov emphasized.
The CBAM Trap and Protection of the Domestic Cement Market
Liudmyla Kripka, Executive Director of the Ukrcement Association, stated that the second phase of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has effectively turned into an economic embargo on Ukrainian exports due to discriminatory default CO2 emission values and the requirement for physical visits by verifiers under wartime conditions. Thanks to the joint advocacy of the business community and Ukraine’s Trade Representative Taras Kachka, restrictions for bordering countries were partially eased.
“Against the backdrop of Brussels requirements blocking logistics, national anti-dumping duties remain the only effective defense. They do not halt imports, but rather compel foreign players to play by the rules while directing funds to the state budget to finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Liudmyla Kripka noted.
The speaker opposed replacing active duties on imports from Moldova and Turkey with “price undertakings” by importers, as these lack oversight mechanisms and drain funds from the country. Anti-dumping measures, by contrast, level the playing field and allow Ukrainian plants to sustain domestic investments during the war.
Job Protection and Investments in the Steel and Mining Sector
Sergey Lavrinenko, General Director of PJSC “Stalkanat”, stressed that under conditions of global steel overproduction, protecting Ukraine’s domestic market is a matter of survival for the industry. An effective state protectionist policy should incentivize the establishment of new local manufacturing facilities capable of displacing imports. However, domestic processors currently face a technological lag in the raw material base.
“We are ready to invest in modernization, but today Ukrainian steel mills are unable to provide processors with raw materials of appropriate quality for high-tech products—we lose to foreign competitors both in price and specifications. When introducing anti-dumping instruments, the state must conduct thorough public interest investigations. We need balanced trade defense that protects jobs at every stage of the supply chain,” Sergey Lavrinenko highlighted.
Imports of Goods Made from Russian Raw Materials via Third Countries and Business Risks
Sergey Povazhniuk, Deputy Director for Development at Ukrainian Industry Expertise, presented analysis regarding goods manufactured in the PRC and Turkey from cheap Russian raw materials (sold at up to a 20% discount) and supplied to Ukraine with a 10-15% lower cost of production, displacing local businesses. Another threat is the massive expansion from the PRC due to overcapacity in China’s cement and steel sectors following the end of its domestic infrastructure boom.
“Since there are virtually no other functioning business defense mechanisms except anti-dumping measures within the Interagency Commission on International Trade (ICIT), it is critically important for us to establish a state import monitoring system. Together with specialized legal advisors, this will allow us to timely detect and swiftly block products with a Russian raw material footprint entering via third countries before the injury to the domestic industry becomes irreversible,” Sergey Povazhniuk noted.
Implementation of the New Customs Code in 2027
Vladyslav Suvorov, Deputy Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, presented the legislative reform. The Cabinet of Ministers is drafting a new Customs Code that fully implements EU regulations. The draft received a positive assessment from the European Commission and will be submitted to parliament by the end of May 2026.
The reform requires the harmonization of rules, capacity building for customs authorities, and the development of a vast framework of secondary legislation. “Technical specifications will be drafted, and complex digital solutions will be rolled out to synchronize processes with the EU and ensure the operability of European customs rules in Ukraine,” Vladyslav Suvorov emphasized.
The new Customs Code of Ukraine, which will incorporate the provisions of the Union Customs Code (UCC) and other EU directives, is scheduled to enter into force on December 1, 2027.
Balancing Oversight and Support for Importers
Halyna Yanchenko, Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Head of the Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Investors’ Rights Protection, emphasized the importance of in-depth analytical market monitoring and utilizing international databases to eliminate illicit import schemes at the border. This would level the playing field and steadily boost financial indicators across economic sectors.
“If illicit schemes are eliminated, official import declaration volumes can instantly scale up multiple times over, and this positive trend can be sustained continuously,” Halyna Yanchenko summarized.
To ensure long-term business security, the TSC is championing the adoption of Draft Bill No. 9211 to curb unlawful searches and asset seizures by law enforcement. The TSC head identified the next strategic step as launching an automated online data exchange between the State Customs Service and EU customs authorities to prevent document forgery.
The New Import Paradigm: Multi-Jurisdictional Regulation and Business Agility
The transformation of international trade structures and supply chains was the focus of the speech by Daria Sarkhosh, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Done. Since 2022, Ukrainian business has entirely shifted its efficiency paradigm: instead of speed and cost, lead-time predictability, agile planning, and currency risk management have come to the fore. The situation is further complicated by tightened financial compliance and banking monitoring, which, amid customs delays, triggers working capital and cash flow gaps due to funds being frozen in extended transit cycles. The market requires alternative asset-based lending and trade finance instruments.
“Importing is a multi-tiered system where logistical, customs, and currency risks are interdependent. A bank delay due to strict compliance disrupts delivery schedules, while a customs valuation adjustment immediately creates a cash flow gap. Today, the main constraint on scaling companies is the ceiling of their own working capital; therefore, businesses critically need new, flexible trade finance tools,” Daria Sarkhosh stated.
The New Global Economic Model: Challenges of Protectionism and Ukraine’s European Integration
Olena Omelchenko, Partner at Ilyashev & Partners and Head of International Trade Practice, observed that the modern world is moving away from classical globalization principles toward aggressive domestic market protection and competition for industrial investments. Under these conditions, the legal defense of national interests before the Interagency Commission on International Trade and the representation in anti-dumping investigations become vital tools for the survival of large enterprises.
“Today, the state and business face a strategic question regarding the formation of Ukraine’s future economic model. Trade wars directly impact logistics, investments, and business operations. In the context of war and rising protectionism, the issue is much broader than just exporting or importing: we are talking about whether Ukraine can preserve its industry at all and adapt to the new rules of world trade. The key challenges for domestic producers are readiness for strict European competition rules, passing CBAM environmental compliance, and the ability to legally protect the domestic market against unfair imports,” Olena Omelchenko underlined.
About the “Trade Wars: Art of Protection” Conference
Since 2018, the conference “Trade Wars: Art of Protection” has served as an annual platform for discussing key challenges in international trade, protecting domestic producers, and adapting business to global economic shifts. It is organized by Ilyashev & Partners Law Firm in partnership with Yurydychna Praktyka Publishing House. In 2026, Done – a leading logistics operator – became an official partner of the event, joining the organizers to support this large-scale discussion involving representatives of the government, parliament, business associations, and leading experts to shape Ukraine’s economic security strategy.
The 2026 conference partners included: European Business Association, Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Ukraine), Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, All-Ukrainian Association of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Producers, National Extractive Industries Association of Ukraine, Ukrainian Association of Ferroalloy Producers (UkrFA), Ukrainian Corporation “Ukrvinprom”, Ukrainian Confectionery Industry Association (Ukrkondprom), Association of Ukrainian Enterprises “Ukrmetallurgprom”, Association “Ukrcement”, and the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Industry Expertise”.
Media partners of the event included: Yurуdуchna Praktyka, Ukrainian Law Firms: A Handbook for Foreign Clients (the leading English-language professional directory of the Ukrainian legal market), Interfax-Ukraine, Delo.ua, GMK Center, and Energobusiness.