Egyptian court lifts ban on Russian wheat imports

CAIRO - 28 May 2018: Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court on Saturday accepted the appeal filed by the State Lawsuits Authority against the ban of Russian imports of wheat that reportedly contained traces of ergot fungus .

A lawsuit was filed in 2016 by rights lawyer Tarek al-Awady against the Egyptian prime minister and ministers of agriculture, health, and supply, demanding the immediate ban of the wheat imports infected with ergot.

Between 2010 and 2016 the Egyptian ministry of agriculture tolerated a limit of 0.05 percent of the fungus in the country's wheat imports, an internationally recognized standard.

The ministry overturned this in an August 2016 decision, instituting a zero-tolerance policy, which threatened to stop Russian shipments of the grain to Egypt.

However on 21 September 2016, the Egyptian Cabinet authorized importation in accordance with the 2010 standard of 0.05 percent, also announcing the resumption of Russian imports.

Egypt is the world's largest importer of wheat and is the destination of roughly one-third of Russian wheat exports