Customs Service clarifies rules for transit of Ukrainian agricultural products via Hungary

MOSCOW. April 25 (Interfax) - The State Customs Service of Ukraine has published a list of agricultural products that have been temporarily banned from being exported to Hungary, and has issued a reminder that their transit through Hungarian territory is permitted, Ukrainian media said, citing, the service's press center.

Hungary has imposed restrictions (a ban) on the import of wheat, rye and their mixture, corn, sunflower, buckwheat, millet groats, millet and other cereals, flour, fresh, chilled and frozen beef, pork, lamb, poultry meat and poultry by-products/offal, eggs, honey, frozen, canned and fresh vegetables, rapeseed, various types of oils, cane and beet sugar, bread and confectionery, wine and grape must from Ukraine, it said.

The ban on imports is valid from April 18 to July 1, 2023.

"The transit of such goods through the territory of Hungary has not been restricted. A separate condition is their transit through the territory of Hungary using the joint transit procedure and seals," the State Customs Service said.

In line with Hungary's decision, the transit of Ukrainian products via its territory should take no more than seven days. A carrier found guilty of violating this temporary requirement will have to pay a fine equivalent to 100% of the value of shipped products without VAT, it said.

As regards international rail transport, Hungary's customs authorities will recognize a railway seal as a customs seal if it is included in a T1 declaration. The aforementioned goods may also continue to be processed by Hungarian customs officers on the border, but it will take longer.

As reported, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Romania banned the import of agricultural products from Ukraine but allowed their transit to continue.

Negotiations currently under way with the European Commission are dealing not only with these countries' temporary ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products until the end of June 2023, but are also considering the possibility of prolonging the ban until the end of the year.