EU nearly doubles Russian grain imports in June ahead of increased duties

Before the EU imposed higher duties on Russian grain imports, it nearly doubled its grain purchases from Russia in June. According to Eurostat data, the EU imported €11.8 million worth of grain from Russia in early summer, up from €6.5 million in May.

In physical terms, the increase in imports was less pronounced, with volumes rising to 43,400 tons from 32,800 tons in May, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. Despite this, both figures were the highest since March 2023.

The surge was driven primarily by wheat supplies, which increased 2.4 times to reach €9 million, and buckwheat supplies, which grew 2.6 times to €720,000. Italy led the way as the main importer of Russian grain in June, boosting its purchases fivefold to €7.2 million.

On July 1, the EU introduced increased duties on grain, oilseeds, and processed products from Russia and Belarus. Depending on the commodity, these duties rose by €95 per ton or up to 50% of the product's value.