Lithuania to tighten checks on Russian grain shipments

Lithuania will enhance inspections on grain from Russia and Belarus, delaying customs clearance until origin verification is complete. This decision follows concerns about grain potentially sourced from Russian-occupied Ukraine. Inspections may take two months, as Lithuania lacks the necessary laboratory facilities. Starting November 16, shipments of wheat, barley, sunflower seeds, and maize will be held at Klaipeda port until test results are available. If any grain is found to be of different origin, it must be returned or destroyed at the exporter’s expense. Lithuanian officials, including Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius, have called for EU sanctions on Russian grain and measures to prevent illegally sourced grain from entering the market.