All articles tagged with #agricultural exports
US soybean farmers are facing significant challenges due to China's boycott of American soybeans in retaliation for tariffs imposed by the US, leading to economic strain and calls for long-term trade agreements rather than short-term aid, amid ongoing trade negotiations between the US and China.
Five more cargo ships are en route to Ukrainian sea ports using a newly opened corridor to resume agricultural exports, as an alternative to the blocked Black Sea grain deal with Russia. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov announced that the vessels, including bulk carriers OLGA, IDA, DANNY BOY, FORZA DORIA, and NEW LEGACY, will export nearly 120,000 metric tons of Ukrainian grain to Africa and Europe. Additionally, three bulk carriers, Azara, Ying Hao 01, and Eneida, have already left Ukrainian ports carrying 127,000 tons of agricultural products and iron ore through a temporary corridor established by the Ukrainian Navy. Russia had closed off the Black Sea ports last year, but they were reopened in July 2022 under a UN and Turkey-brokered deal that Russia later quit, leading to the reimposition of the blockade.
Poland has announced that it will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine due to a deepening rift over agricultural exports. The dispute arose after Ukraine filed complaints against several countries, including Poland, at the World Trade Organization over bans on Ukrainian grain exports. Poland, one of Ukraine's staunchest allies, cited the need to protect its own market from destabilization as the reason for halting weapon transfers. The breakdown in relations threatens to strain the alliance between the two countries, which have been supporting each other since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia has reiterated that it will not rejoin the Black Sea grain deal unless its demands are met, including the lifting of sanctions and dropping restrictions on Russian agricultural exports. The UN had proposed giving a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank access to the SWIFT international payments system, but Russia insists that the bank itself should have access. The EU has criticized Russia for leaving the deal and accused them of attacking port infrastructures.
Russia demands the full implementation of the Black Sea grain deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey last July, to prevent a global food crisis. Moscow says the deal cannot be extended beyond May 18 unless the West removes obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports. Russia and Ukraine are major grain producers, but Moscow says parts of the deal that are meant to allow it to export its own agricultural goods via the Black Sea are not being honoured.
Talks in Turkey agreed that removing obstacles to agricultural exports was necessary to extend the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal beyond May. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov threatened to bypass the deal if Western countries maintain obstacles to agricultural exports. The deal ensures safe passage of grains and other commodities from Ukrainian ports despite a Russian naval blockade. Turkey is committed to extending the deal beyond mid-May, but issues need to be addressed for the grain deal to be extended further.
Russia may withdraw from a UN-brokered deal that allows the export of Ukrainian grain to global markets if the West does not remove obstacles to Russian agricultural exports. Moscow has repeatedly complained that the deal failed to work for Russian agricultural exports, which have had trouble reaching world markets due to Western sanctions. Instead of agreeing to another extension later this year, Russia may decide to cooperate directly with Turkey and Qatar to ensure grain gets to the countries that need it.