Bulgaria considers liberalization of imports of Ukrainian sunflower

Bulgarian vegetable oil producers demand the return of full liberalization of sunflower imports from Ukraine, which was introduced on December 1. It is reported by Agricensus according to agronews.ua.

President of the Association of Oilseed Producers Yani Yanev said: "We waited two and a half months to see what would happen. No one asked our opinion before imposing the ban on imports from Ukraine, and now some conditions are being discussed again. Sunflower imports should be liberalized."

Although the Bulgarian government's attitude to the issue remains ambiguous, there are doubts about the ban being lifted. Market sources indicate that the government is keeping the details secret to avoid farmers' discontent. The supply of Ukrainian sunflower and rapeseed is important, especially given the reduced harvest this season in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria's sunflower harvest for 2023/24 is estimated at 1.6 million tons, down 24% from last year. The lack of clarity on the ban has led to rumors that it will affect further access to Ukrainian sunflower and rapeseed.

Bulgarian buyers are also worried about the new licensing regime in Ukraine for exports of rapeseed, corn, and sunflower, which was agreed between Ukraine and the European Commission, as well as the desire of Ukrainian farmers to sell at high prices on the domestic market.

"Imports from Ukraine are possible, but they are complicated. You need to provide a lot of documentation with problems, you can import provided you declare that it is for re-export of by-products," said a broker from Bulgaria.

There is no official confirmation on the status of the ban or plans to lift it, but the situation remains volatile and market participants are monitoring further developments.