Romania says wheat exports agreed before April 10 not blocked

Romania's wheat export contracts sealed before April 10, when a military decree banning cereal exports to non-European destinations took effect, are not halted," Agriculture Minister Adrian Oros said on Thursday.

Asked whether all wheat export deals to Egypt can go ahead, Oros told Reuters: "They are not blocked."

Egypt, the world's largest wheat buyer, contracted three cargoes, each 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat at its Feb. 11 purchasing tender.

The minister would not elaborate or give specific details.

Trade sources said there was at least one vessel still in the port of Constanta, that had wheat on it destined for Egypt's state buyer GASC.

"It will sail soon after some paperwork is done," one source close to the matter said.

One port operator told Reuters that an Egyptian ship loaded with an unspecified amount of wheat had left the port on April 7 heading to Egypt and that two others were still moored with one of them loading grain.

On April 10, the government banned the export of wheat and meslin, barley, oat, maize rice, wheat flour and other foodstuffs to non-EU countries to ensure domestic supplies during the coronavirus outbreak.

Romania is a major cereals exporter to the Middle East, with Egypt a key buyer.

Egypt is tapping the market on Thursday for wheat, its second consecutive tender this week as it seeks to beef up its strategic reserves. 

Reuters