Russia extends zero export duties on wheat, barley and corn through year-end
The government also caps sunflower oil and meal export duties through December, after Ukrainian attacks disrupted Black Sea shipping routes.
Published
Russia has set export duties on wheat, barley and corn at zero from September 1 through December 31, 2026. The government will also cap sunflower oil export duties at 7,748 rubles per ton and sunflower meal duties at 312 rubles per ton through the end of the year.
Before the suspension, wheat carried an export duty of 787.5 rubles per tonne and corn 406.5 rubles per tonne, according to UkrAgroConsult, citing Agroexpert. Barley duty was already at zero.
Bloomberg reported the move followed Ukrainian attacks that disrupted shipping through the Black and Azov seas, affecting routes used for more than 70% of Russia's grain exports. The Economy Ministry cited the need to restructure logistics, Bloomberg reported. Domestic grain prices had fallen in recent weeks amid ample supply and difficulty moving the new crop to export markets, and ProZerno expects FOB export prices could decline by $3 to $4 per ton as a result of the duty removal, according to UkrAgroConsult.
Russia has been the world's largest wheat exporter for most of the past decade, supplying roughly a fifth of global wheat shipments in a typical year, according to Global Agriculture. Removing export duties on grains through the end of 2026 lifts a near-term supply constraint on a globally tight market, which could ease some inflationary pressure on commodity prices. Set against refinery attacks, energy sanctions and Middle East tensions that are keeping oil prices elevated, the move is a modest bearish signal for energy and broader inflation trades, though not enough on its own to shift the current risk environment.