About 98 percent of the customs duties that Ukrainian iron, steel, farm produce and machinery exporters pay at EU borders will be removed by a proposal backed by European Parliament on Thursday. This measure will boost Ukraine''''s struggling economy by saving its manufacturers and exporters 487 million a year, the EP said in a statement. "The European Parliament has supported an EU path for Ukraine for many years. As Putin closes Russian markets for Ukrainian exports, we are opening them," said rapporteur of the proposal Pawel Zalewski. The EP backed his proposal by 531 votes to 88.