Licensing of cereal and oilseed imports extended by late 2026

Chisinau, 29 October 2026 – The temporary licensing of imports of cereal and oilseed crops will be extended by late 2026. A bill was passed by Parliament in two readings.

According to the bill, the import license will be issued by way of derogation from the provisions of Law No. 160/2011 on the regulation of entrepreneurial activity through authorization and will apply exclusively to the goods listed in the document. The categories of individuals and legal entities that may apply for the license are also specified. These include entities engaged in animal husbandry, the manufacture of oils and fats, milling products, or feed preparations for farm animals.

License applications will be examined by a commission made up of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, the National Food Safety Agency, and relevant industry associations. The licenses will be issued free of charge, and their holders will not be entitled to sell or export the imported goods.

Furthermore, the licensing mechanism will not apply to imports of cereal and oilseed crops originating from countries whose share of imports into the Republic of Moldova does not exceed, on average over three consecutive unlicensed years, 10% of total imports of cereal and oilseed crops into the Republic of Moldova.

The Government may extend the period of regulation through the licensing of cereal and oilseed imports once, at the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, for a period of no more than 12 months.

The licensing mechanism was applied in 2024–2025, as well as in September and October 2026. The measure was introduced to protect domestic agricultural producers from the effects of massive imports of cereals and oilseed crops from neighboring countries. Another argument cited is the price difference between the domestic and foreign markets: currently, the price of wheat on the domestic market is 1.5 lei lower than the price recorded at the Port of Constanta.

The bill was drafted by a group of MPs from the Our Party faction. Following its adoption, the legislative provisions will enter into force on 1 November 2026.

 

Communication and Public Relations Department of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova