Grain from Belarus passing through Klaipeda will be held until test results arrive

From 16 November, Lithuania will check every batch of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower seeds from Russia and Belarus that passes through the port of Klaipeda. This is reported by Reuters. Cargoes will be held until laboratory test results are received, which must confirm that the products were not grown in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Lithuanian authorities began checking grain from the two countries in September: they suspect that some of the shipments may originate from Ukrainian territories under Moscow's control.

According to a representative of Lithuania's Ministry of Agriculture, analyses of individual batches may take two months or more. The procedure, he said, could delay exports by several months. For Belarusian exporters this means the cargo will sit in the port until the results come in.

The reason is that Lithuania has no laboratory capable of carrying out the required tests, so samples are sent abroad for analysis.

All costs of storage, testing, return or destruction of the products will be placed on the exporters.

If the tests show that the actual country of origin does not match the declared one, the batch will be returned to the sender or destroyed.