Ukraine is considering filing a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia due to their restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports, according to Ukrainian officials who informed Reuters on Monday.
The complaint may be submitted “in the near future” in response to these three neighboring countries’ decisions to impose restrictions on many of Ukraine’s primary exports.
Ukrainian Trade Representative Taras Kachka indicated in an interview with Politico that Kyiv intended to take legal action against these three nations.
In May, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and other countries imposed restrictions that prevented the domestic sale of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds while allowing the transit of such goods for export to other countries.
Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary announced their own limitations on the purchase of Ukrainian grain on Friday after the European Commission chose not to extend its embargo on imports into Ukraine’s five EU neighbors.
Warsaw, Bratislava, and Budapest claim that these actions are taken to protect their local businesses and farmers.
Kachka warned that if Warsaw continued with additional measures, Ukraine might impose reciprocal restrictions on the import of fruit and vegetables from Poland.
Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus stated that the restriction in Warsaw now applies to products made from maize, wheat, and rapeseed.
Radoslaw Fogiel, the leader of Poland’s parliamentary foreign affairs department, stated that Ukraine’s plan to file a lawsuit would have negative consequences for Poland, and he urged Ukraine to consider this. He emphasized that the decision is aimed at protecting Polish farmers and Poland’s interests.
After Ukraine announced its intention to tighten supervision of shipments to neighboring countries, the EU allowed its ban to expire on Friday.
Kachka explained that Kiev plans to implement a system of “real-time” export licenses for grains and is willing to take responsibility for ensuring that exports from Ukraine do not disrupt neighboring countries.
According to data from the farm ministry, in the first quarter of the 2023–24 July-to-June season, 1.4 million tonnes of agricultural products from Ukraine, out of a total export volume of 4.5 million tons, left the country by train. Ukraine relies on rail crossings with Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to transport grain. Additionally, Ukraine transported 1 million tonnes of additional oils and oilseeds by rail.
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