Romania Asks EC To Extend Import Curbs On Ukrainian Grains

Romania has asked the European Commission to extend import curbs on Ukrainian grains and oilseed crops for five Eastern European nations until the end of 2023, Agriculture Minister Petre Daea has said.

In early May, the European Union set restrictions until June 5 on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

With access to its own Black Sea ports blocked and later limited by Russia’s invasion, Ukraine, one of the world’s leading grain exporters, has had to find ‘alternative shipping routes’ through neighbouring states.

Millions of tons of grains and oilseeds, cheaper than those produced in the European Union and exempt from customs tax, ended up in Central and Eastern Europe, where some local farmers were “holding on to their crops expecting prices will rise.”

Daea also said he has informed his Ukrainian counterpart of the request.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “he had called for the unconditional removal of all export restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products” at talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Ukraine shipped 3.33 million tones of grains through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first quarter, the port authority said.

Aljazeera/Shakirat Sadiq