EU to impose heavy tariffs on grain and grain products imports from Russia and Belarus starting July 1

Brussels – In 2023, the EU filled the Kremlin’s coffers with €1.3 billion by purchasing a record 4.2 million tons of cereals, oilseeds, and derivatives from Russia. From July 1, however, Brussels hopes to give a sharp cut to imports from Moscow: today (May 30), the EU Council gave the green light to impose heavy trade tariffs on agricultural products arriving from Russia and Belarus.

Wheat from Moscow and Minsk could cost about 40 per cent more due to a tariff set at €95 per ton. Although the price varies depending on quality, cereals cost roughly 200 and 220 euros per ton in the EU today. By contrast, it will double the price of oilseeds and derivatives, beet pulp pellets (used as feed) and dry peas, on which the 27 countries have decided to impose a 50 per cent fee.

The blockade move—proposed by the European Commission last March 22—was designed to prevent possible hybrid attacks from Moscow, which could use agricultural products to “invade” and destabilize the EU market, but also to counter exports of cereals “stolen” from occupied territories in Ukraine and relabeled as Russian, and in general, to cut off an important source of revenue for Moscow in an effort to limit its ability to finance the war against Kyiv.

“Our commitment to global food security remains firm, ensuring that developing countries are not adversely affected by these measures,” assures European Commission Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis. In fact, the surcharges will not be applied to products in transit to non-EU countries but will affect only those destined for consumption in the 27 member countries.

The tariffs on Russian grains and oilseeds will aid European farmers indirectly, as prices fell last year due to soaring imports from Moscow. For Coldiretti, the go-ahead to the tariffs “is important to save Italian farms” after nearly half a million tons of Russian wheat entered Italy in 2023, “lowering the price of Italian wheat by up to 60 per cent.” Conversely, Brussels assures no risk of a major impact on consumer prices because, even adding the 4.2 million tons imported from Russia and the 610,000 tons from Belarus, we are still talking about 1 per cent of the total grain produced in or imported by the EU.

On the sidelines of the meeting between ministers of the 27 countries, the Belgian rotating presidency of the EU Council said that Sweden had suggested extending duties to other products made in Russia and Belarus. Dombrovskis opened to this possibility: “The European Commission will assess the hypothesis and will provide different options to the member countries.”