The EU is tightening its sanctions against Russia: from July, high tariffs will be imposed on grain imports.

EU member states agreed on Thursday to impose tariffs on grain imports from Russia. This step is intended to help cut Moscow’s revenues from its war against Ukraine, reports the news agency AFP.

The latest sanctions measure aims to “combat illegal Russian exports of stolen Ukrainian grain to EU markets,” says Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU’s trade commissioner. The EU also imposes tariffs on products from Belarus. The country served as a starting point for Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

However, according to AFP, there will be exceptions for Russian grain. The EU does not want to stop transport to countries outside the Union in order to ensure that the global food supply is not affected. Russian fertilizer deliveries are not affected by the sanctions.

The European Commission proposed the measure in March. According to the rules of the World Trade Organization, virtually all Russian grain was previously exempt from EU import duties.

From July 1, the EU will raise “tariffs on grain, oilseeds and derived products from Russia and Belarus to a level that will effectively stop imports of these products,” said the European Council, which represents the EU’s 27 member states.

The EU has set these tariffs at around 90 euros per tonne for most types of grain. For other products, the tariff amounts to 50 percent of their value.

Vincent Van Peteghem, the Belgian Finance Minister, said: “These measures will prevent the destabilization of the EU grain market and stop Russian exports of illegally appropriated grain produced on the territory of Ukraine.” He sees the measure as “another way to provide continued support to Ukraine.”

Russian agricultural imports to the EU increased sharply in 2023, according to AFP. Last year, Russia exported 4.2 million tons of grain and related agricultural products worth 1.3 billion euros to the EU.

Russian grain exports rose from 960,000 tonnes in 2022 to 1.5 million in 2023. Nevertheless, Russian grain only accounts for about one percent of the European market and thus only a small share of the EU supply. By comparison, EU suppliers provide 300 million tonnes annually.