Egypt has established a committee to solve a trade problem with Russia, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture. The conflict is about a 60,000 tonne batch of wheat which was refused by Egyptian customs last week due to the presence of a fungus. In response, Russia announced a boycott of Egyptian fresh produce on Friday, which should come into effect from 22 September.
The two countries are each others main trading partners for these products. Egypt imports a lot of Russian wheat, while Russia imports many Egyptian fruits. Egypt wants the case to be resolved before the start of the citrus season. Of the 458,000 tonnes of citrus Egypt exports, 307,000 tonnes are intended for the Russian market. In total, Russia imports about 533,000 tonnes of Egyptian fruit and vegetables.
