Ukraine will not be able to prove losses due to grain embargo in the WTO, – European Commissioner

European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski is surprised that Ukraine has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against countries that have unilaterally restricted exports of Ukrainian agricultural products. In his opinion, Kyiv will not be able to prove the losses, and that a solution can be found through dialogue. He said this during a press conference after the EU Agriculture Council meeting.

“I really hope that we will resolve these issues through dialogue and mutual agreement. After analyzing all the technical aspects of what Ukraine is offering, I am still optimistic and still hopeful for this dialogue,” he said.

However, Wojciechowski emphasized that Ukraine’s complaint to the WTO hinders the dialogue, but he believes in this way of resolving the conflict that has arisen.

In his opinion, it will be very easy to prove that Ukraine has not suffered in terms of exports, and during the ban from early May to mid-September this year, it was able to increase transit through four border countries.

“From May 2022 to April 2023, when no ban was imposed, it was stated that 34.8 million tons, or 2.9 million tons per month, were exported via land corridors. The ban was introduced in May 2023. In three months, 9.6 million tons were exported, meaning that Ukraine exported 3.2 million tons per month, despite the ban for five countries,” the European Commissioner said.

He added that in the same three months of 2022, when there was no embargo, Ukraine exported 7.3 million tons via land routes.

“Well, the situation today is as it is, and we will see what exactly Ukraine will offer and how it will affect exports from Ukraine in October. We will wait and see what will happen if Ukraine manages to export more when the ban is lifted,” Wojciechowski said.

As reported, on September 15, the European Commission refused to extend the temporary ban on imports of Ukrainian wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed to five EU countries neighboring Ukraine.

At the same time, the European Commission said in a statement that Ukraine has agreed to introduce certain legal measures (e.g., an export licensing system) within 30 days to avoid sudden spikes in grain exports. Ukraine has to submit a corresponding action plan no later than September 18.

However, Slovakia extended the previous EU ban on imports of four types of grain, Poland imposed additional bans on Ukrainian flour and feed, and Hungary banned 25 more products that were not previously mentioned, including meat.

In response, Ukraine filed lawsuits against Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia at the WTO.

Tags: Ukraine, EU