The Russian Government prohibits exports of cereals and sugar

International Drafting, 14 Mar Russia will temporarily ban exports of cereals and sugar by international sanctions and to protect the domestic market, following the signing of decrees on Monday by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The executive of Vladimir Putin thus imposes a temporary ban on grain exports to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) until June 30 and on exports of unrefined cane sugar outside the EAEU until August 31, according to a government press release released by the Interfax agency. The ban on cereals applies to wheat and meslin (wheat-rye mixture), rye, barley and corn. “The decision was taken to protect the domestic food market from external restrictions,” says the statement, referring to international sanctions imposed by numerous countries, including the European Union and the United States, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, which has already caused thousands of deaths and more than 2.8 millions of refugees. The Russian government points out that several exemptions are provided for the export of sugar and cereals. “It will therefore be possible to supply these products outside Russia, including for the provision of humanitarian assistance, as well as within the framework of international transit traffic,” the report says. The government statement did not specify from what date the ban would take effect, although Interfax claims that the ban could be introduced as of March 15. CHIEF int-mmg/cd NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS. Agenzia Efe has temporarily suspended news production from Russia due to the threat posed to its journalists by the newly approved reform of the penal code. Efe will continue to report as far as possible from other places on this serious crisis.