Estonia bans transit of Russian and Belarusian grain

Estonia has banned the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain through its territory. The decision was announced on October 1 by Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

The ban comes as Russian exporters seek to redirect grain flows toward the Baltic amid disruptions to traditional Black Sea routes. Estonia had already warned carriers in September not to plan Russian grain transit through its territory and ports.

According to Tsahkna, Estonia does not intend to provide Russian grain with a new export route through its ports. Until now, transit volumes of Russian grain through the country had been minimal.

Estonia is also coordinating with Latvia and Lithuania to limit the use of Baltic ports for Russian grain exports. Tallinn supports a common regional or EU-wide approach to such shipments.

As a result, options for Russian exporters to reroute grain cargoes through the Baltic states are narrowing. This increases the importance of other alternatives, including Russian Baltic Sea ports that do not require transit through Estonia.

Tags: bans, Russia, grain, grain export, Belarus, Estonia