EU DOES NOT EXTEND BAN ON UKRAINE GRAINS IMPORTS TO NEIGHBORING EU COUNTRIES
The European Commission said on Friday that it would not extend a ban on imports of Ukrainian grains into Ukraine’s five EU neighbors. Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. The EU created alternative land routes, so-called Solidarity Lanes, for Ukraine to use to export its grains and oilseeds after Russia backed out of the U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain deal in July that allowed safe passage for the cargo ships.
The countries, except Bulgaria, had been pushing for an extension of the ban passed its Sept. 15 expiry. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania previously said they may extend the restrictions unilaterally. Romania sees over 60% of the alternate flows pass through its territory mainly via the Danube River delta and its farmers have threatened to strike if the ban is not extended.
For the last year, Ukraine has been moving 60% of its exports through the Solidarity Lanes and 40% via the Black Sea thanks to the deal. In August, about 4 million tonnes of Ukraine grains passed through the Solidarity Lanes of which close to 2.7 million tonnes were through the Danube. The Commission wants to increase exports through Romania further but the plan has been complicated by Russian drone attacks on Ukraine’s grain infrastructure along the Danube and near the Romanian border.
(Link: agriculture.com)
