MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Russia’s National Association of Exporters of Agricultural Products (NAEAP), Turkey has stopped issuing licenses for duty-free imports of a number of agricultural products, including wheat, from several countries, primarily Russia, since March 15.
"We do not currently have the feedback, we expect to receive the answers as part of the upcoming consultations, which will took place in the coming days in Turkey. The concerned authorities will work now, after which the deputy prime ministers will meet if it is necessary," Gruzdev said, adding that the Russian side had not yet received the official explanations of the restrictions from Turkey.
The ministry official added that if the restrictions were imposed only on a separate state, they would have violated the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The suspension of licenses for duty-free imports of Russian agricultural products came after Russia lifted some of its restrictive measures imposed on Turkey after the downing of Russian jet by a Turkish fighter in November 2015. Under the current customs rules, wheat, along with other food products imported by Turkey, are subject to 130-percent entry fee. The head of Russia's Institute for Agricultural Market Studies, Dimitri Rylko, characterized the fee as "prohibitive," suggesting that exporting with the current restriction was not possible.
Turkey is among the top 10 importers of Russia's wheat alongside Egypt, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan and other counties, according to Russia's Expert and Analytical Center for Agricultural Businesses.
