This decision was taken to prevent Russia from using the proceeds of exports to the EU to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine
The European Commission today proposed imposing prohibitive customs duties on EU imports of grain and other agricultural products from Russia and Belarus.
The imposition of customs duties concerns cereals, oilseeds and grain-derived products from Russia and Belarus, including wheat, corn and sunflower oil.
“This measure will not affect the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain products to third countries,” said Commission Vice-President Vladis Dombrovskis.
This decision was made to prevent Russia from using export revenues to the EU – both Russian and illegally appropriated Ukrainian grain products – to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine. As Russia exported to the EU about €1.3 billion worth of such goods in 2023, these EU tariffs will cut off another important source of profit for the Russian economy and, by extension, the Russian war machine.
By including Belarus in this measure, the EU will prevent Russia from using Belarus to circumvent the new tariffs and channel its products into the EU market.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We are proposing to impose tariffs on these Russian imports to mitigate the growing risk to our markets and our farmers. They will reduce Russia’s ability to exploit the EU for the benefit of its war machine And we remain committed to maintaining global food security, especially for developing countries. We strike the right balance between supporting our economy and rural communities. At the same time, we maintain our unwavering support for Ukraine.”
Commission Vice-President Dombrovskis said: “Today’s proposal is a necessary step: Russian and Belarusian grains and grain-related products have until now been able to enter the EU market with low or no tariffs, and we have seen these imports increase significantly in 2023. The proposed prohibitive tariffs will make imports of these products commercially unviable, also preventing possible future increases that could destabilize the EU food market. It will also help stop the Russian practice of illegally exporting stolen Ukrainian grain in the EU.”
Source :Skai
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