Polish customs does not record imports of Ukrainian grain for more than a year

The customs authorities of the Republic of Poland have not recorded the admission of these goods to trade in the country since the ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine in 2023.

This is stated in the letter of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Poland in response to the proposals of the Polish Association of Grain Producers to establish reference prices for Ukrainian grain, Farmer.pl reports.

The association proposed that an entity that imports agricultural products from Ukraine or another non-EU country to Poland at a price below the reference price and puts them into circulation on the domestic market should pay the difference between the purchase price and the reference price. The collected funds should be distributed to the farmer as a support (subsidy) as a result of selling below cost, for example, for each ton produced/sold, after submitting the relevant invoice.

The Polish Ministry reminded that since mid-April 2023, there has been a ban on imports of wheat and corn to Poland, which caused problems in the market. This ban is valid indefinitely. The transit of these products through Poland is allowed provided that it ends in Polish ports or outside the Republic of Poland. This process is controlled by the National Tax Administration of Poland.

“Since the introduction of the ban on the import of agricultural products from the territory of Ukraine to the territory of the Republic of Poland, the customs authorities have not detected any admission of these goods to trade in the country,” the letter from the Polish Ministry of Agriculture reads.

Regarding the introduction of a reference price, the Ministry noted that government agencies cannot regulate prices, as this contradicts, among other things, EU rules. In addition, the European Commission may initiate proceedings against Poland if it takes further unilateral actions to restrict imports from Ukraine.

“In addition, such actions may also provoke retaliatory actions (formal or informal) on the part of Ukraine in the form of restrictions on imports from Poland. They may concern goods important for our exports to Ukraine (for example, dairy products),” the ministry said.

Tags: Ukraine, export, grain, Poland