New EU car import rules brought budget an additional UAH 516 mln in three months

Changes to the rules for applying customs privileges when importing used cars from the European Union into Ukraine have increased budget revenues. Over the three summer months, customs payments were UAH 516 mln higher than in the same period last year.

This was reported by the State Customs Service. The new procedure has been in effect since June 1, 2026, and applies to used vehicles originating from the EU, for which importers claim a tariff preference.

Cars of European origin can, subject to certain conditions, be imported without paying import duty. One of the documents entitling to this privilege is the EUR.1 certificate, which confirms the preferential origin of the goods.

Previously, zero or preferential duty could be applied already during car clearance, although the verification of the authenticity of the EUR.1 certificate and the origin of the vehicle by the customs authorities of the exporting country had not yet been completed. The State Customs Service believes that such a mechanism created opportunities for improper use of the privilege.

From June, the procedure changed: the preference is applied after receiving the results of the EUR.1 verification. The State Customs Service notes that this approach complies with the rules of the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin.

As a result, in June-August 2026, during the clearance of used EU cars, customs payments to the budget were UAH 516 mln more than in the same three months of 2025.

The change in rules immediately affected importers' behavior. In early June, the State Customs Service reported that in the first week of the month, the number of declarations for the import of used cars at a preferential rate decreased by 73% compared to the same period in May. After that, 100% selection for inspection was introduced for such declarations.

At the same time, customs officers draw attention to an important nuance: according to the results of checks carried out since June, no forged EUR.1 certificates were found. Therefore, the State Customs Service attributes the current result primarily to stricter control over the justification for applying privileges, rather than to the detection of mass document forgeries.

Based on materials: State Customs Service of Ukraine