Ukraine complains to WTO about Hungary, Poland and Slovakia banning its food products
Ukraine is filing a complaint at the World Trade Organization against Hungary, Poland and Slovakia after they banned grain and other food products coming from the war-torn country
GENEVA — Ukraine is filing a complaint at the World Trade Organization against Hungary, Poland and Slovakia after they banned grain and other food products coming from the war-torn country, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Tuesday.
It heightens a political showdown pitting farmer against farmer and widens a rift between Ukraine, a major global food supplier, and three members of the European Union, which has been a pivotal backer of Kyiv as it works to fight off Russia's invasion.
In a break with the wider EU, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia last week announced bans on imports of Ukrainian food to their local markets. They were joined Tuesday by Croatia. But all four will keep allowing those products to move through their borders to parts of the world where people are going hungry.
The four countries, two of which have elections within the coming weeks, say the bans are needed to protect their farmers from a supply glut that drives down local prices and hurts livelihoods. They took the step after the EU last week lifted restrictions on Ukraine's exports to five member states, including Romania and Bulgaria.
Bulgaria's government, however, is allowing Ukrainian imports again, saying the ban had spiked food costs, which triggered nationwide protests from farmers Monday.
But Croatia piled on, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic saying it won't import Ukrainian grain that «is cheaper than ours, which would mean our farmers are in trouble,” according to the state HINA news agency. Recently, Croatia has offered its Adriatic Sea ports for
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