EU approves prohibitive tariffs on Russian grain
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The EU Council has approved tariffs on grain and oilseeds from Russia and Belarus. These tariffs are high enough to effectively suppress such imports to the EU, citing a statement on the EU Council's website.
The tariffs will amount to 95 euros per ton for grain and 50% for oilseeds. The decision will take effect on July 1. The products will also not have access to EU tariff quotas.
The decision does not affect the transit of grain, oilseeds, and their processed products from Russia and Belarus to third countries.
"The regulation increases duties on cereals, oilseeds and derived products from Russia and Belarus to a point that will in practice halt imports of these products," the statement says.
Ban on Russian grain
The decision to block the import of grain from Russia and Belarus was made in March amidst protests by European farmers over environmental regulations and the import of agricultural products from Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the time: "We propose the imposition of tariffs on these Russian imports to mitigate the growing risk to our markets and our farmers."
In 2023, Russia exported 4.2 million tons of grain and oilseeds to the bloc, worth approximately 1.3 billion euros. These EU tariffs will deprive another significant source of revenue for the Russian economy and, consequently, the Russian military machine.
