Ilyashev & Partners has a strong international trade practice, and is recognized for its expertise in representing domestic applicants in trade investigations and handling a wide spectrum of regulatory, trade policy, and customs matters. The team recently advised on landmark anti-circumvention cases. During the period under research the team represented All-Ukrainian Association of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Manufacturers in the sunset review of anti-dumping measures on imports of aerated concrete blocks from the Republic of Belarus; represented Ivano-Frankivskcement PJSC, Dyckerhoff Cement Ukraine PJSC, and Kryvyi Rih Cement PJSC in the review of anti-dumping measures on imports of cement from the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, and the Republic of Moldova; handled representation of San Tekh Rai LLC and Uterm Ukraine LLC in the anti-dumping investigation on imports of radiators originating from Turkey and China. Notably, the team initiated Ukraine’s first-ever anti-circumvention investigation, leading to the extension of anti-dumping duties on prepainted galvanized steel coils from China to include imports from Malaysia — marking a legal precedent in the enforcement of trade defense measures. The firm advised Italian company Fassa Bortolo on regulatory compliance for placing calcium bicarbonate products on the Ukrainian market, covering labelling, technical regulations, and liability risks for both direct exports and third-party imports. The team is also enlisted to represent clients in external investigations and to advise on regulatory and legal developments related to Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Among other areas of focus are trade restrictions, sanctions, and export compliance, particularly regarding product labelling requirements. Partner Olena Omelchenko is highly regarded for her expertise in trade remedies and international trade policy, and is especially recognized for her proactive and strategic approach. The key contributions are provided by Andrii Tereshchuk and Karine Altunian.

Sayenko Kharenko’s international trade team has a remarkable reputation on the market, being proficient in handling trade compliance and trade defense proceedings, including anti-dumping, safeguards, and anti-subsidy cases in Ukraine and abroad. The team represents both domestic producers and foreign exporters, with experience in sunset reviews, and anti-circumvention cases. During the reporting period, the firm represented a group of Ukrainian greenhouse producers — including Agrocenter LLC, Zmiivska Ovocheva Fabryka PJSC, Kombinat Teplychny PJSC, and others — in an anti-dumping investigation related to imports of cucumbers and tomatoes from Turkey. The team also advised Ascania-Flora on initiating a sunset review of safeguard measures on rose imports to Ukraine; represented Yongkang Huandi Cookware Co., Ltd. in an anti-dumping investigation on radiator imports from Turkey and China; continues to act for Lafarge Cement in a sunset review of anti-dumping measures on cement imports from Moldova, Russia, and Belarus. Notable representations of Ukrainian producers abroad include acting jointly with Appleton Luff (Washington, D.C.) for ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih in a U.S. sunset review of anti-dumping duties on steel concrete reinforced bar, and representing Promet Steel (Metinvest) in a Canadian anti-dumping investigation into rebar imports from Bulgaria, Thailand, and the UAE. The firm commands notable hands-on experience in drafting trade defense legislation aligned with WTO and EU standards. The past year’s portfolio also included a range of regulatory matters, such as product safety, product liability, sanctions compliance, and distribution agreements. The practice is consistently led by partner Anzhela Makhinova, who brings hands-on experience in trade policy and strategic advisory. Associate Oleksandra Sandul is the core member of the firm’s team.

Asters has a well-established international trade practice covering expertise in trade investigations initiated by Ukraine, trade regulatory compliance, export controls, sanctions, and customs matters. The team is particularly noted for its experience in trade investigations having represented foreign producers, importers, and industry associations. During the research period the firm demonstrated strong dedication to assisting the military and defense sector with customs, import/export issues, and regulatory restrictions. Customs clearance of cargos has been another area of recent focus. The international arbitration team handled representation of agrarian companies in GAFTA and FOSFA arbitrations. In particular, the firm successfully defended Oilseeds Trading in a FOSFA arbitration initiated by a Middle Eastern buyer over a sunflower oil contract, securing dismissal of the buyer’s claim after demonstrating non-performance and filing a counterclaim for damages related to the buyer’s failure to collect goods stored in occupied Ukrainian territory. The international trade practice is co-headed by Gleb Bialyi, partner, and Anton Sintsov, counsel.

The international commercial and trade team of Baker McKenzie provides support on global trade compliance, advising clients on U.S., EU, Ukrainian, and other sanctions, export controls, trade restrictions, and cross-border regulatory issues. The global firm has a dedicated Ukraine-Russia task force to advise multinational clients. In a recent highlight the firm was approached to advise on product regulation, customs clearance and supply contracts, sanctions and restrictive measures related to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, martial law restrictions, export and import control. The firm has a well-established portfolio of sanctions compliance projects. The firm assists leading companies across the industrial, financial, IT, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, and energy sectors with global strategies for sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, warehousing, transshipment, and sales of their products and services. Nadiia Filozop specializes in trade remedy matters and investigations, while Hanna Smyrnova focuses primarily on sanctions and restrictive measures targeting Russia. Serhiy Chorny, a partner of the firm’s banking and finance practice, also advises on international trade and sanctions-related issues.

First Chair Legal, a rapidly growing Ukrainian boutique law firm based in Lviv, specializes exclusively in international trade matters. The firm’s core areas of expertise include customs compliance, free trade agreements and preferences, obtaining authorizations, international trade contracts, customs/tax disputes, etc. In 2024, the firm advised over 20 companies on obtaining AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) status and related customs or transit authorizations, including clients from the furniture, automotive, food, and logistics sectors. The firm also provided comprehensive support on rules of origin, with a strong focus on preferential trade under FTAs with the EU, UK, North Macedonia, Moldova, and EFTA countries. For example, the firm recently supported clients in confirming Ukrainian preferential origin of goods following refusals to issue EUR.1 certificates, driven by shifts in the interpretation of processing sufficiency. The team has, in addition, also initiated legislative amendments to the draft Customs Code aimed at repealing the ban on duty refunds for non-preferential origin materials. The firm has four partners on board — Oleg Kyryievskyi (advocacy, trade remedies), Iryna Pavlenko (rules of origin, FTAs), Yuriy Repeta (military and agri-trade), and Mariia Khoma (customs compliance, disputes).

INTEGRITES offers a comprehensive international trade practice, covering trade remedies, commodity trade, and related arbitration. The firm continued advising its established client Centravis on all aspects of countering the expansion of stainless-steel pipe products of Chinese origin into the Ukrainian market, including stepping up anti-dumping measures and cancellation of price commitments made by one of the firm’s Chinese suppliers. In the anti-dumping investigation against imports into Ukraine of radiators originating in China and Turkey, the team represented two Turkish companies, Elba Basincli Dokum San. A.S. and Eleks Dış Ticaret A.Ş. The team advises Ukrainian companies facing trade restrictions abroad, for example, in the U.S. Yevgen Ivanets, counsel on trade investigations, heads the practice. The firm advises a strong portfolio of agribusiness clients and has acted in a number of GAFTA and LCIA arbitrations, as well as the enforcement of GAFTA awards in Ukraine. It is also regularly engaged to advise on a broad spectrum of contractual issues, including contract execution, breaches, and related settlements. The commodities and commercial contracts practice are led by firm’s partner Olena Perepelynska, who also serves as an arbitrator in commodity trade disputes.

Launched in November 2024, Inly Law Firm has quickly positioned itself as an ambitious new player in the market. Leveraging the core team’s extensive experience at Asters, the firm has established trade defense as a primary focus, while also broadening its expertise to include EU law, industrial policy, and government relations. The team’s recent work spans both international and domestic trade remedies. The key figures of the firm are strongly recognized names – Dr. Olesia Kryvetska (dispute settlement lawyer at the World Trade Organization) and Oleksii Pustovit (former co-head of Asters’ trade practice). Tetiana Bebik is another important team member.

Sergii Koziakov & Partners* and Attorneys’ Association Gestors* were mentioned during in-depth interview for their presence in anti-dumping investigations. PwC Legal* and the Lviv office of Arzinger* were referred to as active advisors in the area of trade regulatory compliance.[1]

AGA Partners has built a strong international trade in commodities practice with a global client base. Over the past year, the firm advised on more than 150 trade contracts and handled over 100 arbitration proceedings, particularly in commodities and maritime law. The team regularly supports leading global traders and regional market leaders across a broad range of commodities, including grains, oil, sugar, diesel, and fertilizers, and leverages extensive expertise in GAFTA, FOSFA, and LMAA arbitrations. The firm successfully represented MHP in a series of complex international trade disputes — ranging from force majeure claims and quality rejections to cargo contamination and theft; acted for TAS Agro, an agricultural arm of TAS Group, one of Ukraine’s largest industrial holdings, on a series of complex international trade disputes involving cargo rejection by a Chinese state-owned enterprise, export delays due to government checks, and maritime complications during a corn shipment to China. The team is consistent legal counsel to agrarian giants on their international trade contractual base. For example, it advises COFCO International, China’s largest food producer, on the development and review of a wide range of international trade contracts. The sizeable team is co-led by partners Ivan Kasynyuk and Iryna Moroz. Active across numerous projects, Pavlo Lebediev was recently promoted to counsel, with key senior associates including Ievgen Boiarskyi, Yurii Bedenko, Dariia Zyma, and Dmytro Izotov.

Eterna Law demonstrated presence in complex cross-border trade and arbitration disputes, acting as lead counsel in high-value cases involving clients from Ukraine, Hungary, Kazakhstan, the UAE, and Poland. Key matters throughout the research period include representing a Ukrainian crop protection company on restructuring liabilities with Chinese suppliers (USD 13 million), and handling GAFTA arbitrations for Hungarian food companies linked to the EU’s temporary ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports. The team also represented clients in disputes stemming from geopolitical disruptions, including hostilities in Sudan and wartime logistical challenges in Ukraine. Eugene Blinov, partner in international arbitration, has extensive experience representing clients in commodities disputes under GAFTA, FOSFA, and LMAA rules.

Fortior Law Eastern Europe & CIS Limited (FLEECIS), an international firm with an office in Kyiv, focuses on disputes involving both soft commodities (e.g., grains, wheat, seeds) and hard commodities (e.g., petroleum, crude oil, LSFO, ULSFO, urea). The team regularly represents clients in GAFTA and FOSFA arbitrations and assists with the negotiation of settlement agreements. Its advisory work spans a wide range of contentious issues between traders and counterparties such as vessel owners, terminals, freight forwarders, surveyors, and port authorities. The firm’s broad range of representations includes disputes over contractual breaches, non-payment, non-performance and force majeure claims, shipping and demurrage issues, failure to load goods, and non-compliance with specifications. Its recent portfolio highlights multi-jurisdictional trade disputes, reflecting deep expertise in cross-border commodity trading conflicts. Danil Hristich, partner and English solicitor with a focus on international trade, leads the firm’s commodities arbitration practice. He is supported by senior associate Sergey Platonov, and a team of dedicated associates. Switzerland-based partner Vitaliy Kozachenko is another contact.

Interlegal, headquartered in Odesa, focuses on asset transactions, claims handling, and debt recovery, while representing clients in international litigation and arbitration forums such as the LCIA, GAFTA, and FOSFA. During the research period, the firm actively represented clients in multiple GAFTA and FOSFA arbitration proceedings related to a broad range of commodity trade disputes. These included claims arising from non-payment and delayed payment obligations, repudiation of contracts, force majeure issues (including the blockade of Pivdenny port), demurrage compensation claims, frustration as well as disputes over quality and condition of goods, misinterpretation, sampling issues etc. Partner Oleksii Remeslo heads commodity arbitration. Larysa Karakach is the main executive figure.

Kosovan Legal Group, an industrial boutique focused on agribusiness, advises both international and domestic agri-food companies, as well as mid-size and large grain trading and logistics businesses. The firm provides legal support for international trade agreements, including GAFTA and FOSFA contracts. In a recent highlight, the firm advised Grain Power on GAFTA-governed contracts with Orsett Trading SA for the supply of corn and wheat worth over USD 117 million; rendered advice to grain trader Bioenergy-Vinnytsia on FOSFA cross-border delivery contracts with Bunge SA on sunflower oil. Among recent cases on the dispute front, the team advised a grain trader on a USD 6 million supply dispute involving a blocked vessel in Mykolaiv, avoiding demurrage and arbitration through a force majeure claim and a negotiated GAFTA-based settlement. Anatoliy Kosovan is the main point of contact.

Gramatskiy & Partners specializes in complex structuring of export-import operations, investment projects, intricate cross-border commodity flows. MGT Black Sea engaged the firm to structure and support a USD 25 million multiregional grain export platform, involving GAFTA-based FOB/CFR contracts, blockchain bill-of-lading integration, war-risk and sanctions compliance, and a multimodal logistics chain via Constanța and Bar; and to conduct a USD 6 million export compliance audit covering 40 agri-commodity SKUs, harmonizing HS codes and origin proofs with Turkish and EU brokers. The firm acted for European Fuel Solutions BV engaged the firm to optimize a USD 10 million cross-border fuel supply chain, involving multimodal transport contracts, duty-suspension under IPR, and integration of IoT-driven digital twins to automate contractual milestones, alongside environmental clause negotiations with the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The international trade practice is led by Andrii Trembich, who specializes in foreign economic activity (FEA) law, international trade finance, contracts, and collateral. The team also includes Ernest Gramatskiy (maritime and port law, arbitration, ADR), Borys Karas (food export and import), and Igor Reutov (import of technological equipment, software export, and WTO law).

NOBLES, a Ukrainian law firm with a strong international client base, advises global companies on cross-border trade, including market entry strategies, trade regulations, and compliance with both EU and Ukrainian legal frameworks. The firm also supports the development of effective sales, distribution, and logistics systems, and manages a broad range of contractual matters. The team advises Naturias GmbH on structuring contracts with Ukrainian suppliers, with a strong focus on enforceable security instruments such as suretyships and guarantees. Disclosable clients include Joma Import, H&M Hennes & Mauritz GBC AB, Beam Suntory. Oleksandr Aleksyeyenko is currently the lead partner.

The research revealed a number of international law firms that are active in Ukraine-related commodity trade projects, namely MFB Solicitors, Hill Dickinson, Holman Fenwick Willan. Turkish law firms were mentioned as active players in commodities cases in connection with representation of Turkish buyers.[1] The firms marked with asterisk (*) have not submitted information for the current research.