Bulgaria considers banning Ukrainian grain imports, Bulgaria’s acting Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev said.
Bulgaria may become the third European country to ban Ukraine’s grain imports after Poland and Hungary banned imports of grain and other food products from Ukraine following a surge in cheap goods.
Earlier this week, Poland’s Prime Minister’s office announced that Ukraine’s grain imports will be banned in Poland “to protect the Polish agricultural market against destabilization.”
On 16 April 2023, the Hungarian Agriculture Minister announced Hungary would also temporarily ban the import of grain, oil seeds, and other agricultural products from Ukraine.
“Bulgarian interests must be protected. Moreover, now that two countries have already acted in this way if we do not react, the accumulations on Bulgarian territory could become even bigger,” Bulgaria’s acting Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev said.
While the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products will continue through the territory of Hungary, Poland is also considering banning the transit of grain from Ukraine. Currently, Bulgaria does not consider imposing restrictions on the transit of Ukrainian grain and other food products via the Bulgarian territory.
On 16 April 2023, a European Commission spox said that unilateral action on trade by European Union member states is unacceptable.
On 17 April 2023, the Ministers of Agriculture of Ukraine and Poland are expected to meet on the territory of Poland to sign an agreement on the further export of Ukrainian grain to third countries through the territory of Poland.