Norway’s parliament has ratified the updated free trade agreement between Ukraine and the countries of the European Free Trade Association. The vote moves the revised framework one step closer to full implementation.
The agreement was signed in Kyiv in April 2025 by Ukraine and the four EFTA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It replaces the 2010 agreement that entered into force in 2012.
New rules for a changed economy
The updated text reflects how trade has changed since the previous agreement. It adds chapters on e-commerce, small and medium-sized enterprises, trade and sustainable development. These areas are increasingly important for Ukrainian exporters and service companies working with European partners.
According to Ukraine’s Economy Ministry, trade turnover between Ukraine and EFTA countries approached 1.3 billion euros in 2024. The new agreement is meant to modernize legal conditions for that trade and make cooperation more predictable.
Norway has also increased investments and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, while supporting infrastructure recovery and business activity away from the front. Ratification therefore fits into a broader partnership: trade, reconstruction and long-term economic resilience are becoming connected parts of the same agenda.
