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| Russia to analyze data on the possible introduction of EU duties on grain |
| 2024-03-20 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] The Kremlin has seen Western media reports about the European Union's intention to introduce duties on grain imports from Russia and Belarus and will analyze them before drawing any conclusions on this matter. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov announced this at a briefing on March 19. “We have seen these messages. It remains to be analyzed to what extent and in what time frame this will be implemented and whether it will be implemented at all,” he said in response to a related question. The Kremlin representative clarified that only after this will it be possible to draw any conclusions on this issue. As Regnum reported, earlier on March 19, the Financial Times newspaper wrote that the EU in the coming days is going to introduce a duty of 95 euros per ton of grain from Russia and Belarus. According to the publication's sources, if such a decision is made, grain prices will increase by at least 50%. Reuters reported on March 5 that a potential EU ban on aluminum imports from Russia could spark a fierce fight for resources between US and European consumers. It was noted that if such a ban is introduced, the aluminum deficit could exceed 500 thousand tons. First Deputy General Director of the Center for Strategic Research Boris Kopeikin told Regnum on March 11 that the additional effects of any new restrictions on aluminum imports from Russia will not be significant for its economy. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on February 24 that the next package of EU sanctions against Russia is not directed against the government or business, but against all Russians. The politician called Western countries enemies and called for creating possible retaliatory difficulties for them. More from regnum.ru Expert Zlochevsky: EU duty on grain from the Russian Federation will not affect Russian suppliers If the European Union decides to introduce duties on Russian grain, this is unlikely to have any serious impact on domestic suppliers, since Russian supplies to EU countries are not that significant, said Arkady Zlochevsky, President of the Russian Grain Union (RGU), in an interview with Regnum news agency. According to the expert, Europe is trying to pass off its agricultural problems as an influence on the Russian grain market, while the real threat to European farmers is posed by extensive supplies from Ukraine. At the same time, relatively small volumes are now coming from Russia to the European Union for Italy, Spain and some other European countries, the expert pointed out. He noted that attempts by a number of European countries to prevent these supplies from Ukraine in order to support their farmers could be perceived as a refusal to support the Kiev regime. Conversely, from the point of view of EU policy, it is logical to blame Russia and Belarus for the problems faced by European farmers due to the import of very cheap Ukrainian grain. That is why European officials came up with the idea of duties on Russian and Belarusian grains, the expert is sure. “They need to make eyes at each other and show that measures have been taken. Although they do not in any way solve the main problem that they are trying to solve - blaming Russian grain for dumping, and not Ukrainian grain,” said the interlocutor of IA Regnum. In reality, creating problems for the supply of Russian grain to the EU will not solve the problems of local farmers. “Grain from Russia has nothing to do with what is happening in Europe; the volumes are small. In addition, we deliver exclusively by sea. There is no overland transit of Russian grain through the territory of the European Union. Unlike Ukrainian grain, which travels by land, by rail and must transit through many ports, for example, in Bulgaria and Romania. But it is so cheap and, therefore, attractive to consumers that it is intercepted,” said Zlochevsky. Moreover, the volumes of grain currently supplied to Europe from Russia and Belarus are small not only in terms of the needs of the European Union, but also in terms of exports from the union republics, he assured. This is a “drop in the ocean” of the total supply of grain shipped abroad by domestic suppliers. Therefore, the new duty in EU countries will have virtually no effect on domestic suppliers, who sometimes actually have difficulties selling large volumes of grain on foreign markets, the expert is sure. The European Union plans to introduce a duty on grain from Russia and Belarus one of these days - 95 euros per ton. This was reported by the Financial Times. The purpose of this measure is to reassure European farmers and the authorities of some EU countries. At the same time, the publication’s sources fear a sharp rise in grain prices. Earlier, on March 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the country became fourth in the world in exports of agricultural products, earning $43.5 billion. Russia took first place in the ranking of wheat suppliers. The head of state announced this at a meeting with farmers in the Stavropol Territory. He added that such results have never happened. And on March 18, it was reported that France had joined Poland’s calls to limit the import of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine to the EU. At the same time, Paris, as Politico noted, threatens to disrupt negotiations on extending Kyiv’s free trade rights with the EU for a year. |
| Posted by:badanov |