The Romanian Customs Authority, "in response to information circulated in media," announced that no grain imports from Ukraine have been registered in the last six months.

Local media reported on the increasing frustration of Romanian farmers, who face low prices in the market, as well as high logistics costs and delays for their exports. Ziarul Financiar commented on December 4, speculating about farmers' possible political support for the far-right party AUR, which has constant rhetoric related to the high cost of the support provided by Romania to Ukraine.

Separately, the authorities' claims about doubling the capacity of transfer for Ukraine's grains by investments in infrastructure are not backed by actual projects, and consequently, Constanta port remains a major bottleneck. 

"As a result of the information in the media regarding the alleged imports into Romania of certain categories of cereals originating in Ukraine, namely wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower, the Romanian Customs Authority reminds that until September 15, 2023, the free circulation or placement under the customs warehouse, free zone or inward processing regime of those products was prohibited in Romania." 

Afterwards, emergency ordinance OUG. 84/2023 was adopted regarding the establishment of measures to regulate imports of agricultural products from Ukraine or the Republic of Moldova, according to which wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower can only be imported based on authorization of import, by economic operators with registered office and work point/points on the territory of Romania, which carry out activities in the following economic sectors: manufacture of oils and fats, manufacture of milling products, manufacture of preparations for feeding farm animals and animal breeding.

"Although the OUG entered into force on October 13, neither during the period September 16 - October 13, nor since then until now, were any import operations registered for the agricultural products from Ukraine," the statement reads.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Denys Kovtun/Dreamstime.com)