Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania demanded a duty on the import of Ukrainian grain

"Eastern European Union countries are demanding that the EU impose import duties on Ukrainian grain, citing unfair competition," the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture announced.
The ministers of agriculture of Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have sent a letter to the EC requesting measures, in which they indicate that cheaper agricultural products from Ukraine are harming their export markets, the Guardian reported.
"Brussels must put in place measures to protect the markets of member states bordering Ukraine while helping them to exploit their full export potential," said the letter signed by the ministers.
One of these measures could be the introduction of import duties on the most sensitive agricultural products.
"The larger size of Ukrainian farms makes the country's grain exports cheaper and this pushes EU farmers out of their traditional export markets," the ministers said.
"Farmers in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have suffered significant damage since the EU suspended import quotas and tariffs on grain from Ukraine last year," the letter added.
Ministers are also calling on the European Commission to investigate in a report whether Ukraine's production guidelines are in line with EU requirements.
The position is addressed to EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have become alternative transit routes for Ukrainian grain to compensate for slower exports through Ukrainian Black Sea ports following the Russian invasion in 2022.
Farmers have protested these supplies, claiming they "distort" local markets.
Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced restrictions on imports of Ukrainian grain last September after the European Commission decided not to extend the ban on imports into Ukraine's five neighboring EU countries. All three bans apply only to domestic imports and do not affect transit to downstream markets.
In response, Ukraine filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the three countries, while other EU members condemned the unilateral actions. /BGNES