The European Commission called unacceptable the decision of the Polish and Hungarian authorities to temporarily ban the import of grain and other types of agricultural products from Ukraine. Trade policy is the sole responsibility of EU authorities and unilateral action on this issue is unacceptable, the commission said in a statement to Reuters.
On April 15, Poland imposed a temporary ban on the import of grain and some other types of agricultural products from Ukraine, this was reported on the website of the government of the country. Following a similar decision, the Hungarian authorities made a corresponding statement published on the website of the Cabinet. The ban will be in effect until June 30, 2023.
Poland temporarily stops imports from Ukraine of grain crops, milk, eggs, poultry meat and dozens of other products. In Hungary, the ban will affect grains, oilseeds and "certain other" agricultural products. According to Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy, the decision was made to protect the interests of Hungarian farmers. Nagy said that due to the lack of duties on Ukrainian agricultural products and their low cost, the goods of local farmers cannot compete with them. Hungary asks the European Union to reconsider the decision to abolish duties on products from Ukraine.
After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland, at the request of the EU, allowed the transit of Ukrainian grain through its territory, but as a result, Polish companies began to buy up cheap grain destined for third countries. This caused dissatisfaction with local agricultural producers.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine called the decision of the Polish authorities a violation of the previously reached agreements, according to which, until July 7, Ukrainian wheat, corn, sunflower and rapeseed had to go through Poland in transit. Earlier, Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solsky reported that from 500,000 to 700,000 tons of various agricultural products are supplied from Ukraine to Poland every month, including grain, meat, butter, sugar, and eggs. Some of this production remains in the country, but four types of grain were to be sent to third countries.
