Ukraine customs strike hard! Starting from June 8, half of the import of used cars will be subject to centralized strict inspection and will continue until the end of 2026

Starting from June 8, 2026, Ukraine will officially launch a new risk management and control system for the import of used cars. According to the rules of the system, one out of every two used car import declarations will be automatically selected and sent to Kiev for centralized additional verification...

Citing official information from the State Customs Administration of Ukraine, starting from June 8, 2026, Ukraine will officially launch anew risk management and control systemfor the import of used cars. According to the system's rules, one out ofevery two used car import declarationswill be automatically selected and sent to Kiev for centralized additional verification. This pilot plan will last until December 31, 2026, covering 50% of the country's second-hand car imports, of which vehicles enjoying preferential tariffs will become key regulatory targets.

The core change of this reform is that the customs clearance and review power of used car imports is no longer fully in the hands of border customs inspectors. Ukraine Customs has returned part of its decision-making power to the central government, and the special customs qualification department under the Coordination and Monitoring Customs in Kiev is responsible for reviewing all declarations screened out by the system. This means that the influence of long-standing local factors will be greatly weakened, and unified review standards will be implemented nationwide.

The new system uses a fully automated risk management and control mechanism (АС УР) to screen declaration forms. The screening process is completely random and algorithm-driven, minimizing the possibility of human intervention. Ukraine Customs said the move aims to crack down on three long-standing stubborn problems in the import of used cars: underreporting of customs values, falsifying vehicle source documents and abuse of preferential tariff policies. These issues have always been the focus and difficulty of customs supervision in Ukraine.

In terms of specific operating procedures, all submitted import declarations will first be scanned by the automated risk system, and the system will randomly select 50% of the declarations and enter the in-depth verification channel. Different from the past, these selected declarations will not be transferred to local customs for processing, but will be sent directly to the central review department in Kiev for unified verification.

For importers, vehicle source certificates, actual transaction price documents and technical parameters will become the key to determining the success or failure of customs clearance. Customs will focus on verifying the authenticity and accuracy of EUR.1 certificates of origin or other declarations of origin; carefully compare sales contracts, bank payment certificates with official documents issued by the exporting country. Any declaration that is significantly different from the market price may trigger further investigation; At the same time, technical information such as the vehicle's customs code (UKT VED), factory year, engine displacement and fuel type must also be completely consistent with the document. Even minor errors may lead to the re-approval of the tariff rate.

Ukraine customs reminded that since half of the declarations will enter the additional verification process, importers should be prepared to extend the customs clearance time. Although importers with complete documents and operating in compliance face lower substantive risks, the overall customs clearance efficiency will inevitably decline.

It is worth noting that while implementing the pilot inspection of used car imports, Ukraine Customs is also simultaneously conducting special inspection experiments on the import of chemical fertilizers and plant protection products, which will end on June 30, 2026.

written in the end

For China's used car export practitioners, this policy adjustment in Ukraine is an important market signal that needs to be highly valued and prepared in advance.

First of all, extending the customs clearance cycle will become the norm. The customs clearance process, which used to be completed in 1-2 days, now has a 50% probability of waiting for review by the central authorities in Kiev, which means that logistics timeliness will become more uncertain. When signing contracts with Ukraine customers, exporters must fully consider this factor and reasonably agree on the delivery time to avoid breach of contract due to delays in customs clearance.

Secondly, the importance of document compliance has been raised to an unprecedented level. The core goal of this reform of Ukraine Customs is to crack down on false declarations, so the review of documents will be far more intense than before. China exporters must ensure that all documents provided to Ukraine importers-including sales contracts, invoices, certificates of origin, vehicle technical documents, etc. -are true, accurate and complete, and prevent any understatement of prices or tampering with vehicle information. Once a problem is found, not only will the vehicle be detained, but it may also face heavy fines or even blacklist.

Third, the risk of vehicles with preferential tariffs has increased significantly. If your customer plans to import vehicles using certain preferential tariff policies, be sure to verify in advance whether it meets all eligibility conditions and have complete supporting materials ready. Such vehicles are a key inspection target for customs, and any flaw may lead to the cancellation of preferential qualifications.

Finally, it is recommended that China exporters establish close cooperative relations with powerful and reputable local customs clearance agents in Ukraine. They are familiar with the latest operating procedures and review standards of local customs, and can help customers prepare the required documents in advance, respond to various problems arising during the verification process in a timely manner, and minimize customs clearance risks and delays.

Overall, the supervision of the used car market in Ukraine is moving towards standardization and strictness. Although this will bring some challenges to the export business in the short term, in the long run, it will help eliminate those unscrupulous merchants who survive on illegal operations and create a fairer market environment for companies operating in compliance.

Source: Guangdong Good Car

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