Lithuania is tightening inspections of Russian and Belarusian grain exported through the port of Klaipėda. Shipments will be detained until their origin is confirmed, and if falsified data is discovered, they will be returned or destroyed. Reuters reports this, citing a representative of Lithuania’s Ministry of Agriculture, UNN writes.
Details
The new rules will take effect next week. They will apply to wheat, barley, corn and sunflower seeds transported from Russia and Belarus through the Lithuanian port.
According to the official, inspections may take two months or longer, as Lithuania does not have a suitable laboratory. Samples will have to be sent abroad, while all costs for storing, analyzing, returning or destroying the grain will be borne by the exporters.
Lithuania suspects Russia of exporting stolen Ukrainian grain
The inspections began back in September amid suspicions that some of the grain may have been harvested in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
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The Baltic countries are also seeking a pan-European ban on the transit of Russian grain. Estonia has already introduced corresponding restrictions at the national level.
Russian exports came under pressure
Following Ukrainian strikes on vessels and port infrastructure in the Sea of Azov–Black Sea region, Russia began using Baltic routes more actively to export grain.
According to Reuters, in September Russia shipped 1.2 million tonnes of grain through Baltic Sea ports, accounting for more than 60% of its seaborne exports.
At the same time, according to an estimate by StoneX analyst Matt Ammermann, Russia’s current wheat export volumes are approximately half their usual level, despite attempts to find alternative supply routes.