Discussions continue in the European Parliament regarding the import of Ukrainian grain into the European Union for the next marketing year and the potential mechanisms for limitation. Debates also focus on the introduction of taxes on imports into the EU27 of grain and oil products from Russia and Belarus.

But while those discussions continue, neighboring Romania took stock of its grain exports in 2023.

Romania exported cereals worth 4.129 billion euros last year, down 4.1 percent compared to 2022, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

In December 2023, grain exports amounted to 314.3 million euros, which is an increase compared to the same month of 2022, when it was 236.6 million euros. The highest value of grain exports last year was recorded in November, when the country reported 444.2 million euros, followed by March with 405 million euros and October - 388.1 million euros.

As for imports, in 2023 Romania imported cereals worth 703.1 million euros, a decrease of 27.2% compared to the previous year. At the level of December 2023, imports were 54.6 million euros, half of December 2022, when the value of cereals imported from Romania was 101 million euros.

In 2023, the value of grain imports exceeded that of the last month of the previous year only in January (116.6 million euros) and February (117.8 million euros). Subsequently, the value of imports decreased compared to December 2022, with the lowest amounts recorded in June (€25.8 million) and July (€26.7 million).