Poland’s ban on the import of Ukrainian grain and other food products will also apply to the transit of these goods through the country, the Minister of Development and Technology said today. The representative of the European Commission said that unilateral trade actions by members of the European Union are unacceptable.

Poland and Hungary said yesterday they decided to ban imports from neighboring Ukraine to protect their domestic agricultural sector after prices fell due to increased supply in the region. The Polish ban went into effect last night.

“The ban is complete, including a ban on transit through Poland,” Waldemar Buda wrote on Twitter, adding that negotiations will be held with the Ukrainian side to create a system to ensure that goods only pass through Poland and do not enter the local market.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said yesterday that Poland’s ban contradicts existing bilateral export agreements and called for talks to resolve the issue.

The Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported that a meeting of Ukrainian and Polish ministers in Poland is expected on Monday, and that a transit deal will be at the center of the talks.

Ukraine exports most of its agricultural products, especially grain, through the Black Sea ports, which were blocked in July under an agreement between Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and the UN.

According to the Ukrainian ministry, about three million tons are transported from Ukraine every month through the Black Sea Grain Corridor, while only up to 200,000 tons are sent to European ports through Poland.

Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine Mykola Solsky said over the weekend that between 500,000 and 700,000 tons of various agricultural products cross the border with Poland every month, including grain, vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, meat and other products.

The representative of the European Commission said today that unilateral actions in trade by members of the European Union are unacceptable.

After the Russian invasion blocked some Black Sea ports, a large amount of Ukrainian grain, which is cheaper than grain produced in the European Union, ends up in Central European countries due to supply chain bottlenecks, hurting prices and sales. for local producers.

The issue raised a political issue for Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party in an election year, as it angered people in rural areas where support for the party is usually high.

“We are aware of the statements of Poland and Hungary on a ban on the import of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine,” the statement says. “In this context, it is important to emphasize that trade policy is the exclusive competence of the EU and therefore unilateral action is unacceptable.”

“In such difficult times, it is imperative that all decisions in the EU are coordinated and harmonized,” the statement said.

Source: RES