Romania to impose 30-day ban on Ukrainian agricultural products - PM

MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) - Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu will appeal to the country's ministers of agriculture and economy to approve a joint order to extend the ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products for 30 days, RFI said, citing a statement from the PM.

Ciolacu said he is awaiting proposals on licensing grain exports from Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal, which will be discussed.

Following the European Commission decision not to extend the ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products by five of its neighboring countries, "not a single kilogram of wheat was imported to Romania from Ukraine," he said.

"If there are requests for export to Romania, I will definitely ask the Minister of Agrarian Policy and the Minister of Economy to adopt a joint order that restrictions will be extended for a period of 30 days until everything is clarified. I repeat: there have been no requests, and I want to assure farmers that It won't be like it was a year ago," Ciolacu said.

The European Commission's ban on the export of four agricultural crops: wheat, barley, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria was introduced on May 2, first until June 5, and then it was extended through September 15.

On Friday, September 15, the EU lifted the ban. On the same day, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia introduced unilateral bans on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products. In addition to wheat, rapeseed, sunflower and corn, Poland banned the import into the country from Ukraine of rapeseed cake and meal, as well as corn bran, wheat flour and derivative goods. Hungary expanded the list to 25 items. Kyiv then threatened to file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.