Hungary agrees with three countries to extend ban on grain imports from Ukraine

Reuters reported the information.

The Hungarian Minister of Agriculture István Nagy wrote on Facebook that the new national ban will apply to a wider range of Ukrainian products than the current measures.

"We have agreed with my Romanian, Slovak, and Bulgarian colleagues that if there is no decision on the extension of the existing moratorium by Brussels, then we will take national measures individually," the minister said.

Some details regarding the ban on Ukraine grain imports

On May 12, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary called on the European Commission to extend the embargo on agricultural products from Ukraine until the end of the year.

In late May, it was reported that four EU countries would insist on extending grain import restrictions from Ukraine until October. At the same time, Hungary wants to extend the restrictions until 2024.  

 Vitaliy Kulyk, Director of the Center for Researching Civil Society Problems, believes that Ukraine is responsible for the oversaturation of the Eastern European market with agricultural products.

On July 28, Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu said that her country plays a significant role in the transit of grain and agricultural products from Ukraine. Almost 20 million tons have already transited through the country.

On August 4, Poland presented the EU with estimates of the investments needed to increase agricultural exports from Ukraine across the Polish-Ukrainian border to world markets.

On August 24, it was revealed that Hungary requested an extension of the EU's ban on Ukrainian grain imports.

Following this, Poland's Minister of Agriculture, Robert Telus, stated that Poland would also urge the European Union to extend the ban on Ukrainian grain imports. If the EU refuses, Poland would consider implementing its own restrictions. He noted that Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary had similar intentions.

In response, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its disapproval of the plans by Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and Hungary to prolong the ban on Ukrainian grain imports until the end of 2023, deeming the actions of these five EU countries as unacceptable.

On September 13, Bulgaria's parliamentary committee on economic policy and innovation passed a draft decision indicating that the country does not support the continuation of the ban on certain Ukrainian agricultural product imports beyond September 15.