Lithuania could delay Russian grain exports for months over origin checks

Lithuania is introducing stricter rules for verifying the origin of grain from Russia and Belarus transported through the port of Klaipėda. Starting next week, such shipments will not be cleared by customs until laboratory test results are available, potentially delaying exports by two months or longer. The new restrictions will apply to wheat, barley, corn and sunflower seed transported through Lithuania for further export.

Lithuanian authorities began testing grain shipments from Russia and Belarus in September 2026 amid suspicions that some of the products may originate from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. Test results will now become a mandatory requirement for customs clearance. Since Lithuania does not have laboratories capable of conducting the necessary analyses, samples must be sent abroad. If the declared origin of the grain is found to be fraudulent, shipments will have to be returned or destroyed.

Exporters will be responsible for all costs related to storage, laboratory testing, returning or destroying the products. This could significantly increase the financial burden on Russian and Belarusian grain suppliers and complicate the use of Lithuanian transit routes. Currently, European Union sanctions prohibit imports of Russian grain, although transit through EU territory remains permitted.

The tighter controls come as Russian grain exports are increasingly shifting from the Black Sea to Baltic routes. Due to disruptions at Azov-Black Sea ports, Russia has significantly expanded its use of alternative logistics, particularly Baltic ports. Meanwhile, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia proposed an EU-wide ban on the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain in October. Estonia has already introduced its own restrictions on such shipments.

According to StoneX, Russian wheat exports are currently running at about half their normal volumes despite efforts to expand alternative supply routes. Wheat shipments through Azov-Black Sea ports have remained virtually paralyzed since mid-August following attacks on vessels and port infrastructure. Lithuania’s new rules could create additional obstacles for Russian exporters, increase logistics costs and cause further delays in grain shipments to international markets.

Tags: Russia, corn, grain, barley, grain export, wheat, sunseed, Klaipeda, Lithuania