BRUSSELS, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission (EC) on Friday tabled a proposal to increase tariffs on cereals, oilseeds and derived grain products imported from Russia and Belarus.
A tariff of 95 euros (102 U.S. dollars) per ton would be imposed on cereals, and a 50 percent ad valorem duty on oilseeds and derived products, according to the proposal.
The European Union's (EU) executive arm said in a statement that these tariffs, while steep enough to suppress such imports into the 27-nation bloc, would not affect exports to third countries.
Commission data revealed that in 2023, Russia exported 4.2 million tons of cereals, oilseeds, and derived products to the EU, valued at 1.3 billion euros.
"It must be noted that imports to the EU remain a fairly small piece of the overall supply picture for these products, with domestic suppliers furnishing 300 million tons per year," emphasized the Commission. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollars) ■
