Estonian government to introduce ban on grain transit from Russia and Belarus — ERR News

The Estonian government has decided to introduce national sanctions that will prohibit the transit through the country of grain originating from Russia, the aggressor state, and Belarus, ERR News reports.

Transit restrictions

According to the Estonian Foreign Ministry, Russia and Belarus have so far effectively not used Estonia to export grain. The new restriction is intended to make it impossible to use the country as a route for such transit in the future.

The outlet notes that because of Russia's war against Ukraine, exports of Russian and Ukrainian grain through Black Sea ports have virtually stopped. Russia is seeking alternative routes, while the transit of its grain through Latvia has risen sharply in recent months.

Position of the Baltic states

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that Russia is attacking Ukrainian ports and obstructing Ukrainian grain from reaching the global market. According to him, Estonia will not allow Russian grain to be exported through its ports at the same time.

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Tsahkna also said that Estonia is acting together with Latvia and Lithuania to prevent the transit of Russian grain through the ports of the Baltic states. Representatives of Latvia and Lithuania have also spoken in favor of ending such transit through their territories.

In 2024, the EU introduced duties on grain products from Russia and Belarus to stop their imports into the European Union. At the same time, these duties do not fully block the transit of grain through EU territory to third countries.

The ban will be formalized through amendments to government regulation No. 93 of September 29, 2022. It will apply to grain classified under group 10 of the EU Combined Nomenclature and originating from Russia and Belarus. The regulation will enter into force on the day after its publication in the official gazette Riigi Teataja.