On July 1, increased import customs duties imposed on certain types of agricultural products from Belarus and Russia entered into legal force in the European Union, which actually make it impossible to further supply their grain to the European market.
This decision was approved by the European Council on May 30 on the basis of a previous proposal from the European Commission. It is noted that “the measures are aimed at suppressing imports to the European Union of cereals, oilseeds and products of their processing, as well as granules of beet cake and dried peas, while not affecting exports to third countries and preserving global food security.”
“The increased tariffs apply to Belarus, given the country’s close political and economic ties with Russia,” the European Commission stressed. By the way, last year Russia exported 4.2 million tons of grain worth 1.3 billion euros to the European Union. The volume of products from Belarus to the EU amounted to 610 thousand tons worth 246 million euros.