Moldova abolishes import licensing for grains and oilseeds

The Commission for Licensing of Imports of Grain and Oilseeds, which operated on the basis of the Law on Regulation of Business Activities by Permit, is ending its activities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova has reported. Regulation through licensing could be carried out for no more than 3 months and could be extended only once for a maximum of 3 months. Thus, the period for which the licensing of grain and oilseeds imports can be applied has expired.

The Ministry of Agriculture reminded that the licensing measure was first introduced on October 11, 2023 and was in effect during the state of emergency – until December 31, 2023. In total, during this period, 12 licenses were issued for the import of about 69.5 thousand tons of sunflower seeds, of which 1200 tons were requested for the confectionery industry from varieties not grown in Moldova and about 44 tons of popcorn from varieties and hybrids not grown in the country.

The decision to license the import of wheat, corn and sunflower seeds was made to maintain stable prices on the domestic grain market from an economic point of view, to support stable domestic prices and to help local producers benefit from their harvest and maintain their competitiveness. At the same time, only economic agents engaged in animal husbandry, production of animal feed on farms, production of flour milling products, fats and oils, bread, bakery and confectionery products were eligible to obtain a license to import wheat, corn and sunflower seeds. They had to attach documents to their import license applications that justified the need to replenish their stocks.

Tags: grain, oilseeds, restrictions