Import of cereal, oilseed crops to be temporarily licensed in Moldova

The import of cereal and oilseed crops might be temporarily licensed until October 31, 2026. The initiative aims to protect domestic producers amid imports of cereals and oilseeds from neighboring countries.

The draft law was presented today at the parliament’s plenary meeting by Serghei Ivanov, head of the chair of the commission for agriculture and food industry.

According to the document, applications for import licenses submitted by individuals and legal entities will be examined by a commission consisting of representatives of the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry, the Economic Development and Digitalization Ministry, the National Food Safety Agency and relevant industry associations. The import license will be issued free of charge.

At the plenary meeting, Serghei Ivanov said that the proposed mechanism was not meant to block imports, but to ensure that they are carried out under conditions that do not harm domestic producers.

“The law is not extensive and it is not a new law; it is the same law transposed from 2024, which operated successfully and created no impediments. On the contrary, according to statistics and data collected from both farmers and other sources, it has indeed brought benefits, as farmers were able to sell at reasonable prices,” the lawmaker said.

According to Ivanov, licensing will make it possible to verify the destination of imported products and limit situations in which cereals are brought into the country under the pretext of processing, only to be subsequently sold or exported.

“For any processor to make an import, they need to do nothing more than submit an application stating their intention to import. It will be reviewed by a licensing commission, and if that commission analyzes and verifies that the processor genuinely has good intentions, rather than intending to sell the goods, and that what they want to import is not available in Moldova, a positive decision will be issued and the import will proceed without any problems,” Serghei Ivanov noted.

The lawmaker argued that the measure was also necessary in the context of the war in Ukraine and changes in regional trade flows.

“This law is actually meant to somewhat reduce the appetite of those with malicious intentions who, under the pretext of importing goods for processing, do nothing more than import and then re-export them, goods which, unfortunately, are not of Moldovan origin. These exports take place to the detriment of domestic goods,” the author of the draft said.

Serghei Ivanov said that, given Ukraine’s more attractive prices for buyers, Moldovan producers risk facing difficulties in selling their own harvests.

Under the draft law, individuals and entities granted an import license will not be allowed to sell or export the imported goods.

Serghei Ivanov specified that licensing would apply to cereal and oilseed products, including wheat and sunflower, and will not cover finished products.

“I repeat once again: licensing applies only to cereal products. It does not apply in any way to finished products, flour, concentrates, and so on,” the parliamentarian said.

The initiative’s author also referred to Romania’s experience, where, according to him, a similar licensing mechanism is currently in place.

“I would like to inform you that such a law is continuously in force in Romania. Although I was asked whether it complies with European standards, this licensing system is currently active in Romania and operates continuously,” Ivanov said.

Asked by the opposition about the risks if the law is not adopted, the lawmaker said there was a risk that warehouses would remain full. He said that wheat is already being sold at a lower price than the market price.

The government proposes that the licensing regime for imports of cereal and oilseed crops apply until October 31, 2026, without the possibility of extending the deadline. A similar mechanism was applied in 2024–2025.

After adoption, the draft law on the temporary licensing of imports of cereal and oilseed crops will enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal.