France joins Poland’s decision to limit free trade in agricultural products from Ukraine, Politico newspaper writes on March 18.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met last week to discuss free trade with Ukraine. Poland has long called for cereals and honey to be added to the list of products subject to import restrictions. This position is supported by at least Hungary and Slovakia, and now France, Politico reports.
As in the case of Poland, France, as a major grain exporter, is also suffering the consequences for farmers of large supplies of cheap grain from Ukraine. This is why farmers’ organizations are putting pressure on governments to introduce restrictions on free trade in agricultural products from Ukraine.
Recently, the European Commission made a proposal to extend duty-free imports from Ukraine for one year. As a compromise solution, it was decided to impose restrictions on the import of sugar, poultry and eggs. Poland, Hungary and Slovakia voted against the proposal in February, while Bulgaria abstained.
According to the European Commission, these restrictions, along with import restrictions on grain and honey, will cost Ukraine €1.2 billion (120 billion rubles) in revenue. According to Politico, the European Union increasingly finds itself in a dilemma between solidarity with Ukraine in the fight against Russia, on the one hand, and pressure on its own states to limit cheap imports, on the other.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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