Lithuania to tighten checks on Russian grain shipments

Lithuania will hold certain Russian and Belarusian grain shipments at Klaipeda port until their origin is verified, aiming to prevent grain from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine entering international markets. The checks reflect wider Baltic concerns about the transit of potentially stolen Ukrainian grain through the EU.

Starting on 16 November, the checks will cover wheat, barley, sunflower seeds and maize, and could take at least two months because samples must be tested abroad. Shipments found to contain grain of a different origin must be returned or destroyed, with exporters paying the costs. The move follows Lithuania’s testing programme launched in September and Estonia’s October ban on Russian and Belarusian grain transit.