EU planning crackdown on Russian grain imports

Brussels – The EU is putting Russian and Belarusian agricultural products in its crosshair: the Financial Times reports that in the coming days, the European Commission could impose a duty of 95 euros per ton on grain imports from Moscow and Minsk, which would raise prices by at least 50 percent, thereby decimating demand from member countries.

The European Commission immediately responded to the rumors: “We are not in a position to announce a date for a possible proposal yet,” clarified Eric Mamer, chief spokesman for the EU executive, at the daily press briefing in Brussels.

However, the first restriction on Russian food products two years after the invasion of Ukraine is imminent. So much for the balance of global food markets, which could be shaken by a decision of this magnitude: not just grains, Brussels is reportedly planning to impose 50 percent tariffs on oilseed and derivative products.

Brussels interprets this as a defensive move if it is true that – as EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski recently stated – “Russia uses food as a weapon.” Indeed, EU imports from Russia of products affected by the possible restrictions reached an all-time high of 4 million tons in 2023. Cheap imports pushed by Moscow to undermine the stability of domestic agricultural markets. The European Parliament, during its March 11-14 plenary session in Strasbourg, also supported the need to impose sanctions on imports of Russian and Belarusian agricultural products into the EU to ensure the stability of EU agricultural production.

In late February, after virtually doubling Russian grain imports and amid farmers’ protests, Latvia urgently imposed a unilateral ban on many food imports from Russia and Belarus. Donald Tusk’s Poland seems poised to follow suit. In a call between the Polish premier and Ursula von der Leyen on March 15, the EU leader reassured Tusk, saying that “the European Commission is considering the possibility of introducing restrictions on the import of agricultural products” from Russia. “The Commission will present a proposal soon,” von der Leyen promised.