The European Union (EU) has reinstated an import duty on maize, which was zero since November 2014. The decision was triggered by low prices in the international market amid ample global supplies and aims to protect local producers. According to current EU policy, a tariff is introduced if export prices from the United States of America plus the cost of ocean freight fall below a floor level of EUR 157 per tonne for at least 10 days. The level of the tariff is calculated to cover the difference between the import and the floor prices. The tariff has currently been set at EUR 5.16 per tonne and will come into force with immediate effect for maize, sorghum and rye. The implementation of the tariff on maize will not affect annual duty-free quotas: 450 000 tonnes from Ukraine and nearly 280 000 tonnes from other origins.